Ginny's Whirlwind
by OExpecto PatronumO
Summary: When Harry comes into town for the Quidditch World Cup, he and Ginny literally run into each other and it's all history from there! Inspired by the movie 'Notting Hill'. I love the word 'whirlwind', don't you?
1. Default Chapter

**DISCLAIMER**: All Harry Potter characters you recognize, which would be everyone in this story except for like two people, are JK's! The quote underneath the title of Ginny's shop belongs to T.S. Eliot, except I changed a word!

**A/N:** So listen to this...I was reading a story and suddenly I thought of the movie 'Notting Hill'. This story is inspired by that film, I'm feeling pretty excited by it, so I hope you all like it. This will be no more than 2-3 chapters in length, it's a pretty short one.

Thanks, **BrownPryde**, for pointing out my "little" mistake of making Harry Keeper instead of Seeker, which has been corrected, plus a few other things that I caught!

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Ginny strolled along the streets of Diagon Alley, humming an unrecognizable tune to herself. She carried two cups of liquid in her hands, taking great care to not spill any as she fought the crowds that seemed to make it their sole purpose to hold her back from where she needed to go.

"Hey, Ginny!"

She looked up when she heard her name and saw Neville waving at her from a patio table at Madam Fortescue's. She smiled and raised her arm in acknowledgement, "Hi, Nev, just going for a bevy run! I'd sit a spell with you but have to get back to the shop! Say hi to Laura for me!" He nodded his head and went back to conversing with his companion, a thinner, blond-haired gentleman.

"-Potter is in town for the Quidditch World Cup! I can't believe he's actually here!"

Ginny's heart thumped inside her chest and she turned toward the sound of the excited exchange between two pretty witches close behind her. "Yeah, well he hasn't made any public appearances...apparently he's trying to stay incognito. Of course, I don't blame the poor man, he gets mobbed everywhere he goes!" one of the witches said with a sigh. "He's so dreamy, though!"

_Harry Potter was in town? How come I didn't know about this! _Her stomach flip-flopped as the two oblivious women continued on. "Tell me about it, Brig, but he's taken! Been dating that American for over a year, lucky bitch. Eh well, he's still nice to look at..." the other woman burst into giggles and their voices slowly receded as they walked into a shop.

Ginny's brow furrowed and she felt pangs of annoyance that her brother didn't tell her Harry had come home for the game. She visibly gulped as all the old feelings and memories came crashing back to her. She had been out of Hogwarts for four years, and in that time she had worked her butt off waitressing at The Three Broomsticks, saving every penny so she could open up her own shop. One of Ginny's passions had always been traveling and so her shop consisted of nothing but books on every imaginable place in the world. She prided herself on her accomplishments and had even hired an assistant when her business began to pick up. The shop wasn't all that spectacular in size but she had made sure to make do with the space she had and had decorated it to her taste – it was pretty much her home away from home.

Ginny had become so immersed with work that she had been able to squash her feelings for the only man she had ever loved, sometimes going days without thinking about him. This did not mean that she hadn't stopped keeping tabs on him when he wasn't home. She had watched as his career as a professional Quidditch Seeker soared, making him even more famous than he was before. She made sure to read any articles she came across pertaining to him and had even attended a few of his games when she had free time. Even though the two were in very separate places in their lives, she never forgot about the boy she fell in love with so long ago.

"Uh, excus-" a male voice brought her out of her daydream just a little too late. She had not been paying attention to where she was walking and had literally run into the man that had been unfortunate enough to reach the corner from the other direction at the same time she did. One of her cups unceremoniously tipped and the contents spilled all over the front of his shirt. They both stood frozen to the spot for a good few seconds before Ginny's face turned red and she fumbled over her words, "Oh, Merlin, I'm _incredibly_ sorry! Ahh, I wasn't looking where I was going, forgive me..." without looking up at his face, she began to wipe at his shirt, only making it worse.

"No stop, it's okay," he said sharply, brushing her hand away. "I didn't quite expect to be dumped on today."

Ginny stilled and began to feel warm all over. She knew that voice from anywhere. _Oh, why did it have to be him of all people? _

She looked up to see a man at least five inches taller than her, sporting jet-black hair and a pair of dark sunglasses to match. Long bangs hid the telltale sign of his identity on his forehead and he reached up to make sure that they were still hiding it. "Harry?" she whispered.

"The one and only," he ground out and looked down at his once white, now orange shirtfront, thinking that the day couldn't possibly get any worse. He had planned on keeping himself on the down low while he was in town, but it proved to be quite the opposite. Already today, he had dodged a gaggle of reporters inquiring about his love life and a legion of fans that seemed to want more than his autograph. And now he had just gotten a cupful of God knows what spilled all over him by none other than Ginny Weasley. He looked back up into her embarrassed face and his features softened. "Sorry, I'm just having a bad day...it's good to see you, Gin," he said with a little smile.

"Yeah, you too...I guess I didn't help in your plan to be inconspicuous while you were here, huh?" she said sheepishly, looking around to see if anyone was lurking. It didn't seem as though they had caught anyone's attention much to her, and his no doubt, relief. She withdrew her wand from the pocket of her jeans and muttered, "_Scourgify_. There, that should do it."

Harry looked down and saw that all traces of the mystery beverage had completely vanished. "Thanks," he said with more of a genuine smile. "So, uh...what're you doing wandering the streets this time of day?"

She looked around her in befuddlement at the rushing crowds. "Well," she started slowly, "this is the usual time I leave the shop to grab an energy booster." She held up the remaining cup, "Good thing I didn't get you with this, Megan would have a conniption and I doubt it would have felt very good when it spilled on you, seeing as how it's coffee." Ginny wasn't much of a coffee drinker so she had chosen a orange-mango smoothie.

"Megan?"

"My assistant and flat mate...she just started a few months ago so you haven't met her yet. Now that I think of it, it might not be the best thing, she's indicated on more than one occasion that she's your number one fan," she finished with a twinkle in her eye.

"I shouldn't disappoint her then, should I? Let me replace your...whatever it is you had, and I can accompany you back to your shop, I haven't seen it since you opened it. Ron and Herm have told me you've done very well with it, so I believe congrats are in order."

"Really, you don't have to replace my drink, I wasn't looking where I was going. You're more than welcome to come see my shop, but don't say I didn't warn you about Megan," she said teasingly. She reached up and removed his sunglasses to reveal the stunning emerald eyes she had memorized by heart. "You're making me nervous having those on, I feel like I'm being interrogated by the men in black." She looked skyward in a moment of insanity, almost expecting to see a spaceship with an alien life form poking its head out the window.

His nose crinkled and he looked at her incredulously, "Did I just hear that come out of your mouth?" His squinted at her since his eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the sunlight and due to the fact that she was now somewhat blurry. "You know Muggle movies?" He grabbed his glasses from her hand and put them back on. "I'm not putting my regular glasses on out here, are you crazy? And besides, I need to wear these, I can't see without them."

"Of course I know Muggle movies, I lived with Hermione for two years! She made me watch Muggle movies every single Friday night, it was a tradition that I had no control over. Come on, let's get to the shop so I can talk to you properly then." She gestured for him to follow her and they began to make their way down the alley, once again fighting the crowds of shoppers. She looked back and saw that he was now wearing a plain navy blue cap, attempting to hide his raven hair. _Poor guy, _she thought. _What kind of life is that to have to constantly make yourself unnoticeable in order to have your privacy? And he's had to deal with it his whole life! Eh, I guess he knew what he was in for when he got drafted to the pros. Damn, he looks good. _She shook her head with the last thought and forced herself to keep her mind on the task at hand. _He has a _girlfriend_, Gin...one you don't like mind you, but that's not the point! Keep your hands and thoughts off him! _

As they passed shop after shop, getting closer to their destination, Harry's conspicuous inconspicuousness seemed to be drawing the attention of a few patrons, and it didn't go unnoticed by Harry. He fell in step beside Ginny and leaned down to mutter, "People are following us...don't they have anything better to do?"

Ginny casually looked over her shoulder to see that, indeed, a few witches, including the gossiping ones she had overheard, were now doing a poor job of acting disinterested while casting furtive glances at them. She sighed and replied, "Well, maybe if you weren't dressed up like you were in the middle of robbing Gringott's, they wouldn't _be_ following us! You know how everyone is in this town, no one's business is ever a private affair."

"So in other words, I might as well just yell at the top of my lungs that I'm Harry Potter and get it over with," he said as a statement, rather than a question.

"If that's what you want but warn me first, I'd like to not have my death be caused by a stampede of screaming, swooning females."

"Thanks ever so much, your sympathy is overwhelming," Harry said sarcastically.

"Anytime, that's what I'm here for."

"This is ridiculous!" he said abruptly and gestured so violently, he accidentally swatted Ginny in the arm. "Oh, sorry..."

She brought her hand up and rubbed the stinging spot, "That's the payment I get for being sympathetic? Gee, thanks," she shot him. She was smiling inwardly, rather enjoying this dialogue between them – she realized just how much she missed him when she didn't see him for extended periods of time.

"I wouldn't exactly call that being sympathetic...in fact, something tells me that your concern for my well-being is the last thing on your mind." He glanced back and, to his dismay, saw an older witch he hadn't noticed before now just openly staring at him.

"Aww, poor Harry," she said as if she were talking to a child, not catching his worried look. "He doesn't know what to do about a little bunch of gawking people and, of course, it doesn't have anything to do with his get-up, so he's waiting for me to save him from the potential catastrophe. There, how's that for sympathy?" She said and patted his arm comfortingly.

"Okay, you can shut up, already!" He said with an upward twitch of his mouth. He looked down at her and he realized just how much he missed the redheaded woman that was, at the moment, mocking him. His smile grew even wider at that thought. "I can't tell you how much I've missed having-"

He was cut off at the sound of a gasp a little too close behind him and knew a second later that that's never a good sound. "It _is_ Harry Potter!"

He froze and lowered his head to groan, "Oh no." He didn't bother turning around in fear of what he would see.

Instead, Ginny turned and her eyes went wide at the commotion those four little words caused. The group had grown considerably and they were now bouncing up and down on the balls of their feet, trying in vain to get a better glimpse of the back of Harry. "Well, this is interesting," she said for Harry's ears only. "Next time, you might want to consider using your Invisibility Cloak when you go out in public."

"Sometimes I do, but Ron had to borrow it for an assignment a couple weeks ago and I haven't been able to make it by their place to get to get it back," he said in a low voice, referring to Ron and Hermione's house outside of town.

Ginny saw that the two witches she overheard from earlier were brave enough to begin walking toward him, the excitement at actually having Harry Potter in front of them apparent on their faces. "Okay, so what do you usually do in these types of situations?" She cringed slightly at actually having sympathetic feelings toward him.

Harry didn't say anything but he took a deep breath and turned around to face the music, his smile slightly faltering at the large group. "Grin and bear it," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth. He took a step forward to greet the crowd, "Hello, yes it's me," he said pleasantly.

The witch Ginny knew to be 'Brig' squealed, "Oh Merlin, I love you _sooo_ much! I knew you were in town, but...oh, my, it's actually you! I can't believe it, this is like a dream come true!" Her friend beside her seemed to be incapable of speech and just stood frozen with her mouth gaping open in awe, as seemed to be the case with most of the group. Ginny just rolled her eyes at the spectacle.

Harry merely nodded while glancing over at Ginny with a 'help me' look on his face. "Erm...yeah, in town for the game," he stated lamely. He never was good with dealing with his fans, particularly his female fans. This had been one trait of Harry's personality that he had never seemed to grow out of and sometimes...like now...he despised it. He never was good at talking smooth with the ladies and it was apparent that flaw wasn't going to be resolved today. The ogling eyes of the pretty witch in front of him made him just want to hide behind Ginny and hope they would go away.

The young woman took that as an invitation and leaned in closely, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Well, if you have nothing else to do while you're here, I'm free any evenings. I would love to get to know you better," she whispered, squeezing his arm.

Harry stood back and gaped at her, "Uh....well, I think I have plenty to-"

Ginny heard the exchange and took it upon herself to grab Harry's hand and force him back to where she was standing, making 'Brig' let go of him. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but he's with me," she said coldly, giving her a warning look.

"Oh! I didn't realize, I apologize," the other woman replied, looking not in the least remorseful. She looked Ginny up and down and scoffed, receiving a glare from Ginny.

Ginny felt even more protective of the man beside her and so she moved in front of him with her hand still gripping his, "Good, so now that we're on the same page, we're going to go unless you need anything else." She didn't know why she was feeling so jealous toward the tramp in front of her and she didn't contemplate it – the overwhelming need to make this woman disappear as soon as possible overrode anything else.

"Perhaps an autograph then...for me and my friend here?" stated Brig casually, although conveying her dislike for Ginny with her stare.

Harry let go of Ginny's hand and said in a strained voice, "Uh...yeah...sure, where?"

"How about these pins?" Harry looked down and noticed for the first time that her and her friend were sporting enormous pins, which were fastened to their cloaks near their chests, in support of England in the Quidditch Cup. Ginny's eyes narrowed in distaste at what body parts their buttons were situated on, and she turned to the side so she wouldn't have to look at Harry's hands having to touch it. _That hussy! I know full well those buttons weren't there a moment ago! _She seethed inwardly, wanting to curse that flirting, conniving bit-

"Er...there you go," Harry said, relieved at having made it through that ordeal. A flush tinged his neck and face at having realized exactly where those pins were on their body, and he glanced over at Ginny to see that she had a murderous gleam in her eye while she glared at the two witches. "Uh...well, we have to go, but thank you for...er...everything." He nodded and then waved at the speechless crowd before turning his back and walking briskly away. He looked back and saw that Ginny hadn't moved, but was still standing in the same spot having a stare down with the woman that flirted with him. He shook his head and went back to grab her arm before waving once more and dragging her away with him this time.

"That little bit-"

"Shh! Ginny, I'm used to it, a lot of my female fans throw themselves at me all the time." He flinched at that statement, not in the least happy about it.

"Why don't you go back and make her happy then, I'm sure she'll show you a right good time!" she threw at him and then began to walk quickly so she was paces ahead of him.

Harry frowned at her behavior, utterly confused at why she was acting like she was. "There's no need to act like that, Gin, it wasn't up to you to deal with her, anyway."

"Right, because you were acting _soo_ smooth when she _flirted_ with you. I'm sorry for wanting to help, how stupid of me! I won't do it again," she finished before swinging a door of a small shop open, leaving a clueless Harry outside.

Harry was too surprised to follow Ginny inside, so he stood out on the sidewalk and stared at the décor of the window displays. The one window was the Seven Wonders of the World with books set up in an intricate fashion and mini-models of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Statue of Liberty among other small items of representation, along with little fact sheets describing each one. In the other window, a completely different set-up depicted books of interest on places in the Wizarding world, including witchcraft and wizardry schools, castles, even Wizarding towns other than Hogsmeade that have been discovered just recently. Looking up, he saw the name of her shop 'Little Sister Travel Books', and underneath that in bright cursive writing 'It's the journey, not the destination, that matters". The shop had a comfortable, at-home look about it and his lips curved upward, feeling proud toward Ginny at having done this all by herself.

The door to her shop opened and Ginny's head poked out, "Well, are you coming in?" The anger she felt from earlier had decreased to mild annoyance and she realized how immaturely she reacted. What happened with him and his fan base was in no way her business and she shouldn't have gone off the deep end over one of his admirers flirting with him. A very _pretty_ admirer at that. She sighed and softened her features, "Listen, I'm sorry for saying that, it's really none of my business...now, come in before you get recognized again!"

He raised an eyebrow but stepped forward and shut the door behind him. The atmosphere inside the shop was comfortable and homey, and Harry smiled despite himself, wanting to explore every nook and cranny. "This is a really nice shop, Gin, you did a brilliant job with it."

Ginny blushed at his compliment and looked around at all of the high shelves with piles of books on them. "Thanks, I'm very fond of it. It certainly took me awhile to establish clientele but it was well worth the wait. Except there's this one guy that comes in here and always asks me if I have books on subjects that aren't related to traveling whatsoever," she said with a laugh. "I tell him that it's all travel books but he doesn't seem to believe me...he sporadically makes an appearance and the process starts all over again."

Harry smiled at her but didn't say anything as he continued to inspect the contents of the shelves. "I've actually been thinking about traveling myself," he said softly. He had never been anywhere to just be there, it always had something to do with work. He had been thinking about it more and more lately as his desire for privacy increased.

"Really? I think it would be good for you...have you thought about where?"

"Well, not really, but last year during Quidditch season, we played a game in Greece...I think I'd like to go back there and just see the sights," he said. He realized he was still wearing his sunglasses and took them off, putting his regular ones on from his back pocket, which also held his wand. He began looking at the shelves more closely, seeing the vast array of titles and places, wondering if it was anywhere that he might like to visit someday.

Ginny quietly watched Harry and saw him become more animated, almost inspired, by her books. She folded her arms and smiled as he picked up a book here and there and flipped through the pages. "If you really want to do it, then go for it, Quidditch season doesn't start for another couple of months."

Harry looked over at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Yeah...maybe," he said with a shy smile.

"Gin, you're back! That guy stopped in again...you know, the one that can't take no for an ans...oh! Hello!" Megan said as she caught sight of a customer.

Ginny smiled at Megan as she walked out of the backroom carrying a small pile of books in her arms. Apparently she hadn't recognized Harry yet or she would have dropped the books on the floor with flourish, she thought. "Hey, Meg, sorry it took me so long to get back, I...uh, got hung up with something. I brought you this back at least...I kind of had an incident with mine." Ginny gestured to the cup of coffee that she hadn't managed to destroy.

"Not a problem, it's rather slow this morning, surprisingly. I can share mine with you if you'd like..."

"Nah, it's okay," Ginny said with a smile, looking over Megan's head at Harry.

Megan turned to the man behind her, who was smiling back at Ginny. _Hmm...he looks familiar, but how could I not remember someone that good-looking?_ Megan thought with her eyes scrunched in concentration. "Do you two know each other?"

"As a matter of fact, yes...we go way back, don't we, Gin?" said Harry with a smirk.

"Indeed...way back," replied Ginny, arms still folded.

Megan looked between them and then made her way over to Harry with her arm outstretched after coming to the conclusion that Ginny wasn't going to bother introducing them. "I'm Megan Hightower," she said and noticed how firm of a grip Harry had on her hand. _Who is this guy and why hasn't Ginny mentioned him before?_ She gave him a flirty smile nonetheless.

"Harry Potter."

Megan froze and looked up into his smiling face, then over at the totally serious expression Ginny had on hers. _Okay, she's not laughing, so either she's a really good actress or he really is Harry Potter_. Her heart doubled its pace and she looked up into Harry's green eyes and then up at his forehead, but to no avail – his hair was laid flat by the cap and it covered his scar. "Er...ahh...uh..." she said stupidly, at a total loss for words. "Uhh...n...nice to mee...eet you." She nodded, pretty sure that her face could probably be compared to a nice ripe cherry tomato, which made her flinch.

"You as well...Gin told me about you."

She glanced over at Ginny and said, "Funny, she failed to mention anything about you." Obviously, she was going to have words with her later when they got back to their flat. Ginny just shrugged in reply to her intense glare.

Normally, Megan wasn't the type to have issues with finding things to talk about, but this wasn't a normal moment she was in. Her idol, which she had loved and admired since forever, was standing in front of her, and he and Ginny 'go way back' and her friend had never mentioned anything of it. _That about sums it up_...s_ay something, you idiot! _"Er...I gotta...go...do...something..." she furrowed her brows and realized she still had a grip on Harry's hand. She quickly let go and made a beeline out of the shop, bell jingling at her exit.

"That went well," he said, trying to stifle a laugh.

"I warned you, didn't I?"

"How come you've never mentioned me to her before?" The question lurked in the back of his mind and he decided he wanted to know.

"I dunno, just never seemed to find the right time, I guess..." Ginny lowered her eyes, not wanting him to know that she wanted to keep him all to herself. Having listened to Megan go on and on about how much she 'loved' Harry Potter made her feel sick to her stomach. She knew that Harry had plenty of females that would do anything to get a hold of him, but she was okay with it as long as she didn't have to witness it first hand. She found herself wanting to go over and break Megan away from him when they shook hands, about as much as she wanted to slap that little bit-

"Right...well, would you want to get together later? Have a drink or dinner or something?"

"Yeah, okay," she replied, wondering why she was agreeing to this. "Shop closes at six...I live right above here, so if you want to come over about seven, I should be ready by then. Just go around the back of the shop and there's another door...dad installed a Muggle doorbell for your convenience," she said with a smile.

Harry let out a half-snort, half-laugh, "Seven sounds good...I'll see you then." He looked down and saw that he was carrying two books on the Caribbean and Greece. "Er...I guess I'd like to buy these."

Ginny smiled and, after he got done paying for the books, sent him on his way after confirming the seven o'clock meeting time. After he left she leaned on the counter and looked at her reflection in the glass, going over the events in her mind of all that just happened. Harry Potter came into her life once again and caused a whirlwind. She sighed when she thought that maybe she didn't want it to stop.

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I probably won't be updating this until I get chapter 12 of 'Play' out there, just so's you know! There's only one other chapter to this story...at least I think, but don't hold me to it. :P Hope you all like this as much as I!


	2. The Beginning

**DISCLAIMER**: Whoever came up with the plot for Notting Hill should get props for this story. The characters besides the obvious ones you don't recognize are JK's!

**A/N**: Well, I've put it off long enough...there's people getting on my butt about it, so that's how I know I needed to update this story. Enjoy!

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Ginny gave herself a critical eye in the mirror and sighed, wondering for the umpteenth time why the fairy responsible for giving women their feminine curves had chosen to skip over her. _It doesn't matter, Ginny, you're not out to impress him – he's your friend...FRIEND! _"Yeah, just a friend..." she muttered. She brought her hands up and squeezed her two mounds together to create more cleavage before releasing them to their original, boring state. "I'm hopeless, I'm pathetic, I'm ridiculous." Putting herself down probably wasn't the best route to go when she was about to go on a date- _It's NOT a date! _–when she was about to play catch up- _that's better –_with Harry. "Okay, obviously this is the wrong thing to wear, we'll just go pick something else out."

She left the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom and went through her closet for the fourth time that night. She hated the fact that her heart was racing with nervousness, that she still acted like a twelve year old when she thought of him, and that the gods that controlled the fate of her life hadn't allowed for things to be different. _If things _had_ turned out differently, where would you be right now? _Ginny asked herself. That's about as far as she let herself think about it – what she wanted and what was real life were two different things and she didn't want to go crazy dreaming about it. "So what _are_ you going to where, Gin," she said as she took off the shirt she was wearing and threw it on the floor along with the six other shirts she tried on. She at least complimented herself on the number she wore _under_ her outfit...the matching purple lacy bra and panties she bought recently made the most of her less than desirable bust and she felt halfway decent in it.

Carefully looking through her tops, she finally chose a deep red fitted tank top and pulled it on, taking care not to mess up her hair or makeup. Walking over to the body length mirror, she did a once over, turning this way and that. "Well, this is about as good as you're going to get, Gin...be happy with it." She wore a black skirt that came to just above her knees and the top accentuated it very nicely, she thought. "Now for shoes," she groaned aloud. Ever the indecisive one with footwear, she trudged wearily back over to her closet and peered at the shoe rack. She was so immersed in her task that she didn't hear Megan come into her room and sit on her bed.

"You look nice," she said.

Ginny gasped and swirled around, "Don't sneak up on me like that! I'm ner-" She had just been about to confess how nervous she was as it is, but Megan probably wasn't the best person to confide in.

"You're what?"

"Nothing," she muttered.

"Sooo..._is_ there a reason why you never told me that you and Harry Potter were best mates?" said Megan rather briskly.

Ginny glanced over at her and sighed before pretending to check herself out again. She had hoped that she and Megan wouldn't have to have this conversation this soon, and it looked like she wasn't going to be able to wiggle herself out of it. "I dunno...out of sight, out of mind, I guess," she said and hoped that would suffice.

"That's a load of flobberworm dung and you know it."

"Well, what do you _want_ me to say?"

"How about the truth for starters!" Ginny flinched at her raised voice. "I mean, you don't just somehow forget to tell me that you know him, simply because he's not there in front of you! And you just don't _know_ him, Ginny, you 'go way back'...what exactly does that mean?" Megan had stood up from the bed and begun to pace back and forth.

"Uh..." Ginny was beginning to get nervous, more so than she already was. "We went to Hogwarts together...Ron, Hermione and Harry are actually best mates. Well, not Ron and Hermione so much anymore, but y'know..."

"Your _brother_, Ron?" Megan gaped.

Ginny nodded while she adjusted her skirt, "Yeah...so seeing as how I'm his sister, of course Harry and I were around each other a lot. We didn't really start to become friends until my fourth year..." she didn't quite want to get into how exactly they had started to become friends, so she didn't say anything more.

"How come it took that long?"

_Dammit, doesn't she know when I'm done talking?? _"Er..." What was she going to tell her? That it took her that long just to be able to look at him without becoming red in the face? That whatever Megan thought she felt about him was nothing compared to the years she spent silently shouting at him that she was there and that she loved him? "I can't really talk about that right now, that's a rather sensitive subject for me."

"Hmm..." was all Megan said. "So now he's coming over here and you two are going out?"

"Yeah..."

"On a date?"

"No! It's not a date, and what's with the 20 questions?" Ginny was beginning to feel irritated.

"Sorry," she looked slightly affronted. "It's just that you seem to be spending a significant amount of time getting ready," she gestured to the pile of discarded clothing on the floor. "You even did your hair and makeup."

Ginny shrugged and smoothed her hair, "I hardly ever get to go out, I just wanted to dress up, is that okay?" She didn't want to be arguing with Megan before going out and sighed, "Sorry, I don't meant to be a bitch, Meg...truthfully, I am a little nervous."

"Something tells me that your feelings toward him are more than platonic," Megan said softly.

Ginny didn't bother contradicting her and just sat on the bed next to her and stared at the floor for a few moments. "Yeah."

"And I'm also thinking that this is why you two didn't become friends until later in school."

Ginny just nodded and looked over at Megan with a tight smile. "It's crazy, isn't it? He's the only man I've ever loved and no matter how hard I try, it doesn't go away...pathetic, huh?"

"Does he know?"

"No." She took strands of her hair and began twirling them through her fingers. "Well, for the first few years at Hogwarts, it was painfully obvious to the whole school that I pined after him. He knew then, of course, but it was just a crush...or so I thought. In my fourth year, I realized that it wasn't fair to keep doing that to myself, so I just...gave up. I convinced myself that I no longer had feelings for him – after that point, I could actually carry on a normal conversation with him without running away or blushing. It was one of the best times of my life when Harry and I became close...if I couldn't have him _that_ way, then I at least wanted him as a friend."

"It just got even more out of control, didn't it?" Megan laid a hand over Ginny's.

"You sound like a therapist," Ginny said with a grin.

"Yeah well, now that things are out in the open, I can't help but be curious. I kind of feel like a prat for acting like an obsessed freak all those times," she said, cringing.

"Meg, don't even go there, you didn't know! And besides, everyone is allowed to have their silly little celebrity crush," she said teasingly. "Although, I think you could've handled meeting said silly celebrity crush a little better."

"Oh hush! What else was I supposed to do when the situation was just sprung on me like that? Do you think he would mind autographing something of mine?" she said with a tinge of hope.

Ginny couldn't help but giggle at the look on her friend's face, "I'm sure he'd be more than happy to, Meg, ask him when he gets here."

Megan bit her lip nervously, "I'm not sure I can face him after embarrassing myself like that earlier...looking back, that really was not one of my finer moments."

"I could give you a run for your money, honey – that was nothing over the way I acted back at Hogwarts...now _that_ was embarrassing and I'm sure he'd agree with me."

"So I still have a chance at saving my dignity?"

"Oh yeah...he's still talking to me, isn't he?"

"You have a point...okay, I will talk to him like a normal person when he gets here. Seriously, watch me, I can do it!" Megan had a determined gleam in her eye and she stood up to leave.

Ginny laughed and shook her head, "Okay, but you have approximately five minutes to find something for him to sign, because he's going to be here soon." No sooner had the words left her mouth then she heard the _gong_ of the doorbell and Megan's eyes widened.

"That's _him_! Oh, dear Merlin!"

"Calm down, Megan," Ginny rolled her eyes. If she didn't know better, it was almost as if Megan were the one going out with Harry. "Listen, I'm not quite done in here, so can you tell him I'll be a few minutes? Please?"

"Uh huh, of course, I can do that...watch me, I can!" Megan's breathy voice receded as she went to answer the door.

Ginny sighed and padded over to her closet once more to inspect her collection of shoes. She didn't want her feet to hurt when she got home, but then she didn't want to wear granny shoes either. She finally settled on a pair of black strappy sandals with a wide heel, and went back to the mirror again to give herself a pep talk. "Okay, Ginny, you're only going out as friends, because he has a girlfriend," she winced when she said that. "That's just the reality of the situation, so you are going to go out and have a good time...as friends. Friends..." she repeated in a whisper. "You look good, now stop looking in the mirror and go." Nodding, she went into the bathroom and sprayed some fragrance on her wrists and neck, smiling at the intoxicating scent. Gathering up her purse and taking one lasting glance in the mirror, she took a deep breath decided to go out and face the inevitable.

When she first entered the living room, the first thing that she noticed was, of course, Harry, and her breath caught in her throat. _Wow..._He was casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with a tan blazer to complete the delectable ensemble, and she had to stop herself from gawking. His hair was ever the unruly sexy mess it usually was, but somehow it was even more so tonight. How was she ever going to keep herself in check tonight?

"Hey, Gin," Harry smiled at her. "You look beautiful."

She couldn't take her eyes of him and her heart sped up at his compliment. "Thanks, you look good, too."

"I feel rather underdressed," he said, roaming his eyes over her dressy attire.

Her body began to tingle as he looked at her and she cursed herself. "No, you're perfect." Realizing what she said, her eyes widened, "I mean you're dressed just fine...I hardly ever go out and so I guess I kind of went overboard." Harry stared at her with a look she couldn't discern and began to squirm uncomfortably.

"Well, you kids should get going," said Megan, breaking the silence.

Ginny jumped at her voice and began to flush, knowing she was just unabashedly staring at Harry a moment before. "Right then, shall we?"

Harry smiled and nodded, opening the door and gesturing Ginny to go out before him. He turned to Megan, "I promise to have her home at a decent hour."

Megan giggled and automatically covered her mouth, horrified at what she must've sounded like. "Okay, have a good time, then."

Only after they left and had been walking down the quiet street did Harry finally talk. "So do you have any idea what you'd like to do tonight? I confess I didn't have anything planned so it's pretty much up in the air."

Ginny shrugged, "I really don't know, either...truthfully, I'd be happy just walking down the street, but I imagine we'll get bored after awhile." The faint smell of cologne coming off of him was distracting her and she found it hard to concentrate on what they were talking about.

"Have you had dinner yet?"

"No, I'm actually starving," she said with a smile. A loud rumbling of her stomach second that fact a moment later and she blushed while Harry just laughed.

"We need to take care of that, then...are there any places you recommend?"

"There's one place in Muggle London that I've been meaning to try out. That is if you want to..."

"Sure," he said and they started toward the location to get into the Leaky Cauldron. He was actually quite relieved that they were going into Muggle London, people tended to not give him a second glance there. "It's weird being back here...I mean, it's nice to come home, but sometimes I feel like I don't fit in."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with you being one of the most recognized people in the Wizarding world, would it?" she said teasingly.

"It probably has something to do with it, yeah," he said seriously. "I wouldn't trade playing for a national Quidditch team for anything, but, at times, it's just so...overwhelming to have to deal with the side effects."

"I can understand that," she said quietly. "Just remember that you'll always have a home at the Burrow, mum and dad would be happy to have you if you just need to get away."

He smiled at that and remembered her parents fondly, "I haven't been by to visit them since I've been back, I was thinking of doing that tomorrow. How are they doing?"

"Well, dad is just about as obsessed, if not more so, with his Muggle artifacts, and so he spends his free time in the shed doing Merlin knows what with them. Mum is doing good, except I think she feels rather lonely now that her children are all out of the house. I try to go as much as I can for visits, but ever since the shop picked up, it's gotten to be difficult."

Harry nodded, "She loves her children very much...I'm not sure what she would be doing if she had never had you and your brothers."

"And you."

Harry looked down at her but didn't say anything. He had spent a great deal of time back at Hogwarts having internal battles with himself over the Weasley's. He now knew that he never would have survived had he not been fortunate enough to meet them back in his first year. Over time, the bond between him and the Weasley's had grown stronger, and they had considered him a part of their family. Even now, when he thought about it, his chest tightened uncomfortably.

They reached the wall that led into the Leaky Cauldron and Ginny retrieved her wand to tap the series of bricks. After they moved aside to create a doorway, they stepped through it and into the back room. They walked into the dark and smoky atmosphere of the bar and, as if they had suddenly turned into magnets, every eye in the place turned in their direction and the noise immediately quieted. "Maybe this was a bad idea," he whispered. He darted a glance at the door behind him as he heard the familiar gasping noises of those that recognized him reached his ears. He unknowingly sought out Ginny's hand and grabbed it tightly. "Don't leave me in here."

Giving him a surprised look, she squeezed back, "I won't."

He looked down at her gratefully and then took a step forward, aiming for the front door and hoped no one would stop him. He had gotten part way across the room before patrons began coming out of their shocked states. One plump witch brazenly hoisted herself out of her chair and blocked their path. "Harrrry Potterrr." Her slurred speech told him that she had been there for quite awhile and she swayed where she stood. He let go of Ginny's hand and automatically reached out to steady her.

"Are you going to be okay, Miss...?"

"Cheaney, svveetheart," she murmured. "You're...you're tusshing me. Harrry Potterrr is tusshing me!!"

His face turned red and he immediately dropped his hands. "You looked like you were a little unbalanced there for a second," he mumbled.

"Why don' you sit herrre with me and we can ge' to know eash other betterrr." She took hold of his arm and went to drag him down with her.

Watching the scene before her in horror, Ginny grabbed his hand from the other side and tugged forcefully. It wasn't hard for the other woman to let go and when she did, she lost her balance and fell back into her chair. The witch finally took her eyes off Harry and attempted to focus on her, "An' who are you?" She picked up her tankard and went to drink out of it, although, half of it ended up on her cloak.

"No one," she said, and took Harry by the hand before dragging him past the crowd of onlookers and out of the front door.

"Maybe we should've just Apparated," said Harry. He was feeling very uneasy toward what just happened, and thought that Ginny didn't have to see that. "I'm sorry about that."

"You know Apparating into the Muggle world is frowned upon, Harry," was all she said. They began to walk until they reached a main road filled with cars and people, and she turned right and said, "It's about a block from here." She wasn't sure why she was feeling so angry at what she just witnessed. She had had to see that witch earlier this morning hang on him, but this one really bothered her for some reason. _It's because the more you see it, the more realistic it becomes for you. _She knew her inner voice was right and it made her even more agitated. How many times does this happen to him? Does he ever flirt back with any of them? She shook her head and disposed herself of the questions – it was really something she wasn't sure she could handle the answer to.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked hesitantly. Remembering her outburst this morning, he wasn't really interested in seeing it again.

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well," he said slowly. "Considering the mood from when we left your apartment to now, the comfort level has dropped...quite a bit."

She wished that she could just lay it all on the line and get it over with – that way, she could take a deep breath of air as the weight lifted from her shoulders and he could stop being so damn clueless. "I just...I just realized how much you have to deal with, is all...I don't know how you handle it." _Or maybe you like that sort of attention. _

"I told you I'm used to it...I'm just sorry that you had to see it."

"Then you have a hell of a lot more patience than I do, Potter," she said with a snort. "Here it is." She gestured to a contemporary looking restaurant situated in between two equally trendy buildings.

"Looks like everyone else is wanting to try this place out as well," he replied, and tilted his head toward the line outside the door.

"Well, let's see if we can't squeeze in – if I have to wait another minute for food, I'll perish into dust."

Harry laughed, "And how do you propose we do that, wave our wands and make everyone disappear?"

"Of course not, silly! You see...this is where knowing the owner comes in handy."

"You know them? Who is it, do I know them?"

Ginny giggled at his curiosity and motioned upwards, "The name should explain it."

Harry looked to where she was pointing and laughed outright when he saw 'Longbottom's Cove' in neon lettering. "Are you serious? _Neville_ owns this place?" He shook his head in shock but smiled. "Can't wait to see him," he said sincerely – he hadn't seen Neville or any of his other roommates other than Ron in quite awhile.

Ginny smiled at his contagious exuberance and took his arm, propelling him forward toward the door. A gentleman Ginny recognized as the man Neville had been sitting with at Madam Fortescue's earlier and a beautiful brunette were guarding the front door, writing names down on a waiting list. "It'll be at least a 30 to 45 minute wait," the woman said pleasantly to the couple first in line. "Next, please?"

"Excuse me, is Neville in tonight?" Ginny cut in before the next couple could step forward.

The man looked over at Ginny and he seemed to recognize her as well. "You must be Ginny?"

"That's right...Neville said that I should come check this place out sometime, but it seems like everyone else had the same idea," she said with a smile.

"Just a moment," he said and leaned toward the woman to whisper something in her ear. She nodded and then turned toward them with a smile on her face, "If you come with me, I can get you seated right away."

Ginny nodded and smiled before following the woman inside. She looked back at Harry and mouthed, "Come on, I'm starving here!" before disappearing inside.

Harry just grinned and shook the man's hand as he passed by, "Thanks for getting us in this quickly, she's rather famished."

"It was no problem at all, who am I to keep a woman separated from her food?"

Harry laughed and went into the restaurant, gaping at the size of the place and taking in the brilliant color adorning every square inch. "This place is amazing," he said to Ginny when he caught up to her.

"Isn't it? I haven't seen it since it was finished...he's done a fantastic job."

The woman led them to a small room that seemed to be separate from the rest of the place, but was just as tastefully decorated. "You may have a seat here," she gestured to a padded bench, which wrapped around the large table. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I hear your Golden Snitch's are a huge hit," Ginny said with a smile.

"You have good taste," said the woman with a perfect smile. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll have the same, I suppose," he said, still in a daze.

"I will put the order in for you right away. My name is Chelsea, please let me know if you should need anything. I will also let Neville know you are here, I'm sure he can take a minute to chat with old friends."

"Thank you," replied Ginny.

"This place is truly amazing," Harry said. He couldn't keep his eyes on one spot – everything seemed to want to grab his attention all at once. He noticed a monstrous fish tank against the wall and gazed in wonder at the various tropical fish floating within.

Ginny kept silent and just watched him stare in awe at the fish. After a minute she laid a hand on his arm and smiled, "You act like you've never seen fish before." Although, she couldn't deny that the restaurant was immaculate or that Neville had outdone himself.

"I have, but...not like that."

A moment later, their waitress appeared with their drinks and their mouths dropped open at the size of the glasses. "I hope you're strong enough to carry me home after this, Harry, because I can tell you right now that I won't be sober when we leave here."

"Well, that should be an interesting sight," he said with a gleam in his eye. "To Longbottom's Cove," he raised his glass.

Ginny raised her own glass with some trouble and took a generous sip before putting it back down. "Oh yeah, this is going to be an interesting night, indeed."

* * *

End of chapter 2! It's 3 in the morning, and I'm done! I just couldn't stop writing once I started...it's a good thing I don't have to work today :u). Yes, I believe there's one more chapter to come after this and I will get that out ASAP.


	3. The Dinner

**DISCLAIMER**: I'm far from the respectable and honorable author that JK is, so you can probably assume that I'm not her, and in turn assume that Harry Potter isn't mine.

**A/N**: Okay, there's one thing that you should know about me...I'm easily persuaded. There were too many of you that were saddened over my proclamation of only one more chapter, and I immediately felt this wave of guilt engulf me. So now look what you done, you made me extend the story! You can congratulate yourselves now

**Melindaleo**: So nice to hear from you!! You have a Mad-Eye Moody eyeball and catch everything, don't you?? :u) Your question should be cleared up in this installment, Neville can explain better than I why he has a business in the Muggle world.

**Hello, Rob**!! Thanks for your feedback, that's always appreciated. You're right, after the chapter was posted and I read it again, I wished I had given the readers more insight on Ginny AND Harry's thoughts, hopefully that can show more in this chapter. Your comment about the end of the chapter is also valid – her thoughts aren't flirtatious or 'evil', it's more of just a general statement to herself and not directed toward Harry per se. Let's see if I can kind of clear that up as well with this installment. Lastly, let your worries be eased on the statement Ginny made regarding Hermione and Ron 'not being best mates so much anymore, but y'know'. In the first chapter, while Harry was talking about Ron having his cloak, I made a note that Ron and Hermione had a house outside of town, meaning they're now together, so I wouldn't necessarily call them best mates anymore since they're a lot more than that. I didn't elaborate on her comment in this chapter since I had mentioned it in one.

**A note to anyone**: If there is someone interested in being my beta for Play or GsW, let me know -- seems like no matter how many times I proof and re-proof a chapter, there's ALWAYS a mistake I miss. Email me and let me know, address is in my profile. :u)

Okay, sorry for the long A/N, everyone, I just wanted to clear up a few things! Thank you **ALL** for your reviews, you truly rule.

* * *

"You know, there _is_ a sobering potion if you don't handle your liquor well," said Harry as he took another big swallow of his drink. When Neville finally joined them, he would have to see about persuading him to give him the recipe for the drink – it _was_ pretty delicious, he thought. 

"I just may need it...am I going crazy, or does this drink seem to refill itself?" Ginny definitely hadn't planned on getting drunk tonight, but considering the size of the glass in front of her and the potency of the alcohol, she didn't know if there would be any way to avoid it other than just not drinking. That easily could have been an option before she had her first taste of the heavenly drink that went down so smoothly. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that becoming any less inhibited in the presence of one Harry Potter wasn't the smartest thing she's ever done, and would probably regret it when she had her wits about her again, but she couldn't keep herself away. She had started to feel the effects of working too much and not having enough time to relax, and the atmosphere of the restaurant made her want to let loose as much as she could. _Just watch what you say tonight, Weasley, _she made a mental note.

"I think it _is_ refilling itself...is this restaurant just for wizards? Doesn't seem like there would be any magically enhanced food or drinks if Muggles came here as well."

Ginny shrugged and shook her head, which she immediately regretted after a wave of dizziness came over her. She really had to stay away from the drink until she got food in her stomach, and so she pushed her glass away reluctantly. "When Neville and I last talked, he said that this place was going to be able to have both, but that Muggles were somehow going to be oblivious to that fact...not quite sure how, though, we'll have to ask him." Now that Harry had mentioned it, she was interested to know how that worked.

A moment later, the waiter that had brought their drinks appeared and smiled, "How are the drinks for you tonight?"

"Excellent, thanks, although food would be nice if I'm wanting to walk out of here without making a fool out of myself," said Ginny, and her stomach rumbled in agreement. She glared at Harry when he was unsuccessful at holding back a snicker.

The waiter, who had introduced himself as Tristan, laughed, "No problem, have you had a chance to peek at the menus?"

"Er...actually no, we've been kind of swooning over these drinks -- they're quite delicious," said Harry.

"They are our top seller among the witches and wizards that come to visit – we were constantly having to bring seconds and thirds, so Neville just decided on making them endless."

"Are you a wizard?" Harry queried.

"Actually, no, I'm a Squib...three of my sisters and father in my immediate family have the magical ability. You may recognize my last name, Jordan...Lee Jordan and I are first cousins and I was fortunate enough to get in touch with Neville when I was looking for a job while I attend university."

Harry noticed that he didn't seem to be at all bothered by the fact that he had been born without magical ability, which surprised him after being around Mr. Filch for seven years. "Of course I remember Lee...who wouldn't after the pranks he used to pull with Fred and George?"

Tristan smiled, "Yep, that would be him, except he's still pulling those pranks with them...old habits die hard or so they say." He turned to Ginny and his eyebrow rose, "You look like you might be related to the Weasley's, am I correct?"

Ginny had given up on keeping herself away from the drink and had moved it closer to her again, sipping every so often while observing the conversation. She nodded, "I'm the one and only sister of the bunch...lucky me, huh?"

"I can relate, I'm the only brother out of five siblings and, let me tell you, growing up with them was no stroll through the park, especially when three of them had magical power." He smiled at her and Ginny couldn't help but smile back – she noticed that he was quite good looking and had nice eyes. At that moment, her stomach chose to protest at the lack of food and she groaned, "Bring me anything, I don't care what it is!"

"I recommend the crab and spinach dip to start, that is a favorite of mine – it comes with seasoned pita bread. Any objections?" At Harry and Ginny's headshakes, he nodded, "Very good, I will be back shortly...the menus are right there between the two bamboo plants. Trust me when I say that you can't make a mistake with your choice, it is all very good."

After he disappeared, Ginny looked down into the swirling liquid in the glass and gasped at what she saw. "Harry, did you notice this? How cool, there's an actual snitch in there!"

Harry glanced down into his own glass and, indeed, there was a golden snitch that was swimming around and seemed to be keeping the drink well mixed, as well as provide an entertaining color show with its wings. He didn't answer and pretended to be engrossed in the life going on within his glass while he got a grip on himself. Being the perceptive individual he was, he noticed the look of interest Tristan had given Ginny; that's not the part that bothered him. He couldn't blame him one bit, Ginny was a beautiful woman as it was, but tonight she looked especially so...even _he_ had noticed. What he hadn't expected at all, what he hadn't been the least bit prepared for, was the wave of jealousy that passed through him. When Harry saw him look at her like that, he had wanted to get his wand out and curse him into next week, never minding the fact that he had been nothing but courteous. _What the hell is wrong with you, Potter? You don't care who's interested in Ginny or vice versa, she's a friend and you need to act like one! _Right, so... "He seems interested in you." The words seemed foreign coming out of his mouth, not right at all...

Ginny looked up in surprise, "Who?"

"Tristan..."

"Er...I guess so." Having a conversation with Harry about her potential interest in their waiter felt a bit awkward and so she averted her eyes over to the fish tank. "You're right, they are rather breathtaking," she murmured.

Harry had to agree with her, even though they were thinking of two different things. When he ran into her in Diagon Alley today, it had taken a lot of energy to stop himself from wrapping her up in a tight hug. It had been awhile since he'd seen her and, even though he had thought about her while away, he hadn't realized how much he missed her. His history with Ginny was filled with a lot of unspoken thoughts and emotions on both sides, even though he knew Ginny believed she was the only one keeping them. He admitted that he wasn't the most observant person back at the beginning of school when it came to girls, particularly with the one sitting in front of him. After the disaster that was his and Cho's whirlwind romance, he hadn't been keen on getting involved with anything of that sort again, especially after what happened at the Department of Mysteries. After that day, his love life proved to be trivial and moved way down on his list of priorities. He had been too busy preparing himself for his fate that he didn't notice until it was too late that Ginny had wiggled her way into his life. At first it was little passing conversations, then more involved talks by the common room fire. It went from exchanging smiles to exchanging hugs, from secret glances to unabashed stares. What developed between them was nothing Harry had ever experienced before and he knew it was something special. Before he could explore it any further, Voldemort had gotten in the way and once again dashed away any chance he might have had with her. After the fall of the Dark Lord, Harry continued to hold a good deal of anger and resentment toward him and he knew anything with Ginny was doomed to fail until he could get his life in order. He was grateful to the fact that Ginny had no idea of his increasing feelings for her, since it would only have hurt both of them more when he left.

"Harry..."

Ginny's voice brought him out of his reverie and he turned to focus his gaze on her. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about things."

"Unless it's about what you're going to eat, then I won't allow you to. Judging by the sullen look you just had on your face, I'm assuming it wasn't. Therefore, I'm insisting that you just shut your brain down for the night and concentrate on the happy fish over there." Ginny knew she was rambling and so took another sip just so she could keep her mouth occupied. She had watched Harry's face turn from carefree to contemplative to disconcerted to pained, and had wanted to get him out of that place he was going to before he depressed himself.

"Remember earlier in the street?" Harry asked.

"I'm short of memory sometimes, but not _that_ short."

"I wanted to say something but then that...thing happened. Actually, I kind of wish a lot of things had gone differently today."

"No use in dwelling on it...everything happens for a reason, you know."

"Potter, finally decide to grace me with your presence?"

Harry smiled at Neville's voice and stood up to greet his old friend as he walked over to the table. "Neville, you prat, how come you never told me you were a successful entrepreneur?"

Neville shook Harry's outstretched hand and leaned in for a half-hug before answering. "Oh, no reason other than to surprise you...of course, if you spent more than a couple of days in town at a time, you could have been in the loop. Good to see you," he smiled and then gestured for Harry to sit down before he sat down beside Ginny. "Ginny, you look lovely as always."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Nev," she said and playfully slapped him on the arm.

Tristan arrived a moment later with a platter filled to the rim of the delicious smelling appetizer and Ginny's mouth began to water. "This tastes just as good as it looks, so enjoy," he smiled and set the heaping plate down. "Have you decided on your main course?"

Ginny ignored him and dug into the crab dip with relish, so Harry chose to answer for them. "No, we're just a couple of slow pokes in here tonight," he said sheepishly.

Tristan laughed, "Not a problem, you are welcome to take as long as you like."

Ginny made a noise and shook her head no, holding up her index finger while she worked on chewing and swallowing her food. There was no way he was leaving again without their orders but since they hadn't even looked at the menus, she turned to Neville. "I'm sure everything here is great, but do you suggest anything in particular?"

"You trust me to order for you?" At Ginny's animated nod, he smiled and put a finger up to his mouth in thought. "Let's see...Ginny, I know you're partial to seafood, yes? I think you would enjoy the tequila and lime haddock fillet. And, Harry, you like anything that stands still..." He grinned at Harry's glare. "For you, I would recommend the linguine pomodoro with chicken."

"Sounds good to me," Ginny said immediately, then stuffed her mouth with another piece of bread.

Harry just nodded while he witnessed Ginny eating as if she had been stuck in the dessert for a month without food. "Excellent, I will get that ordered for you right away," said Tristan before making his departure.

Neville leaned forward and grabbed a piece of pita bread, dipping it in the sauce before taking a bite. "This gets better each time I try it," he said with a sigh. "Now I can understand why Ginny's eating like a crazy woman."

"Hmmph," was all she said, but both men saw the twinkle in her eye.

"How did you ever get the notion to open a restaurant in Muggle London?" Harry inquired. "You've done an incredible job on this place, by the way."

"Thank you, I've put a lot of time into it and I'm happily amazed to see such a positive reaction from the public. When Laura and I first moved here, I was feeling rather isolated from the Wizarding world and so one day, I just started to brainstorm on ways that I could incorporate the best of both worlds into one place. And two years later, voila..."

"Can I ask how you managed to do that? Couldn't there be a possibility of Muggles accidentally seeing something strange, like never-ending drinks? Which is a brilliant idea, I might add," Harry smiled.

"There's always that possibility but, fortunately, I had the best wizards and witches working with me on that to make sure the chances are slim to none. If something like that _should_ happen, there is a charm that makes them think it was just a trick on the eye and nothing more. Believe it or not, I have both magical and non-magical people on staff – Harry, if you remember what it was like before you discovered the Wizarding world, you had no inkling of life other than what was in front of you, right? A lot of magic occurs within the Muggle world but since the idea of it is so foreign to them, Muggles never notice or pay attention to it. It's the same concept here and it has worked beautifully."

Harry stared at him in wonder, having never thought of it quite like that before. It made a lot of sense and Neville was right, he had been oblivious to magic before he had been introduced into the Wizarding world. Now, whenever he made trips into the Muggle world, he could spot a witch or wizard from a mile away. "Are you planning on expanding at all?"

"Not at the moment, but we'll see later down the road. I'm just kind of getting my feet wet and it can get a little overwhelming at times. I don't regret a second of it, though...I'm happy where I am."

Harry grinned when he saw the determination in Neville's eyes. He never thought Neville had it in him to do something big like this, but maybe this is what he needed to do to find his way in life. Ever since their Hogwarts days, Harry knew Neville always felt like the underdog when it came to trying to fit in and academics, with the exception of Herbology. Harry, himself, had never thought him incapable or unintelligent, but merely lacked the confidence and self-respect to be able to show the world the gifted wizard he truly was.

"So how's your life, Harry? Now that I know you're still alive, you won't get out of not coming to visit me." Neville picked up another pita with dip to eat and turned to put an arm around Ginny. "Sorry, don't mean to ignore you, how rude of me."

Ginny just shrugged, "Were you ignoring me? As you can see, I've been kind of busy packing away this scrumptious appetizer, so I haven't exactly noticed."

Neville laughed, "Okay, then I take my apology back." He looked back over to Harry expectantly, waiting for an answer to his question.

"My life is in progress...check back with me in a month or two or even two days, and I should have more of an exciting report for you. I'm rather enjoying my time off between seasons...looking forward to the World Cup."

"Naturally, why else would you be here in front of me? You will be at the party, won't you?"

"What party?"

"Ginny, you did tell him about it, didn't you?"

"No, haven't quite gotten the chance..."

"Tsk, tsk...I've arranged for a gathering in one of the top rooms at the stadium, catered by none other than yours truly. I'm surprised Ron hasn't told you about it already, considering how fanatical he is about Quidditch."

"I haven't been by to see him and Hermione yet, I just got into town today...of course I'll be there."

Tristan came in just then with two plates, larger than the one the appetizer was on, balanced in his hands and set them carefully down in their rightful spots. "Alright, hope you left room for the actual dinner part of the evening."

"Whoa," Harry stared incredulously at the generous portions. "Neville, are you trying to kill us?"

"Well, if I were trying to, I would've done it a long time ago. One of my rules for this place is that the customer never leaves hungry, so quit complaining. I shall leave you to your dinners," said Neville and stood up from the bench. He leaned down and kissed Ginny's cheek, "You behave yourself."

"I always do," she said with a wink.

"Keep an eye on her, Potter, there's no way I can trust her now. Will see you two at the party, then," said Neville. "Oh, and may I also recommend the chocolate sin for dessert? Of course, your meals are on the house this evening, so feel free to get whatever you want." He shook Harry's hand and then departed with Tristan in his wake, before they could utter a protest.

"Oy..." mumbled Ginny before taking her fork and digging in to her entrée.

"I quite agree," said Harry and eyed his own meal before diving into it.

After a few minutes of silence, they had barely made a dent in their plates, even with their incessant bites. "This is magnificent," Ginny breathed, looking longingly at her forkful of fish before consuming it.

"It is...there's no way this restaurant is going to not become one of the most popular places to come. So, Ginny, how have you been? It's been" he made a mental count of how long it had been since he'd last seen her.

"Almost a year," Ginny said nonchalantly. "And if you know what's good for you, you won't wait that long again to come and see me." She understood that Harry had a busy life, but had always felt hurt when months would pass before she heard from him or saw him. Especially after Hogwarts, when he had disappeared for the longest time, she had been worried sick when her owls weren't returned, but understood that he had needed time to himself. Now that she knew of his whereabouts, she didn't grant him the same lenience and expected him to at least owl her every once in awhile. Now that she thought of it, he hadn't exactly been on his way to see her this morning – it was really just a fluke accident. She frowned when that thought crossed her mind. Somewhere deep down she felt a pang of sadness that they were practically strangers compared to how they were back at school. After they had become close, she thought that they would never go backwards again, since they meant so much to each other. She felt an emptiness inside of her, wondering where it went wrong.

"Gin, are you okay?"

She didn't notice she had stopped eating and was staring intently at her plate. "I miss you," was all she said.

Harry's features immediately softened and he felt the urge to wrap her in a hug again. He knew precisely what she had been thinking about just a moment before, because the same thoughts had been plaguing him. "I miss you, too," he said quietly.

At the exact same moment, they both got up from the table and moved toward each other, not stopping until their arms were locked securely around the other. Ginny rested her face against his neck and Harry tightened his arms around her waist. They stood like that for a good few minutes and Harry started to become more aware of Ginny's form pressed up against him. No space stood between them and so the heat radiating from her filled his body, which made him more conscious of exactly what body parts he was feeling. Her breath on his neck made him involuntarily swallow and he clutched more forcefully at her waist, making her breath come out faster. The box in which he held his old feelings for her somehow unlocked itself and he felt overwhelmed at the intensity. He brought up a hand and settled it to her hair, gently taking hold of it.

Ginny's not so sharp mind knew something had changed in that moment, but she deftly ignored it, just wanting to feel the sensation of Harry's masculine body against hers. She took deep breaths of his scent and gripped his neck tighter. "Don't wait so long next time."

The vibration of her voice shot tingles throughout his body and he almost groaned aloud. Ginny wasn't the only person the alcohol was affecting and right now what he wanted to do was definitely against his better judgment. _You can't do this, Potter, don't do this to yourself...and to Ginny. _The voice inside of his head was loud enough for him to hear and he regretfully began to come out of the embrace. Once they were separated, brown eyes met green eyes and they stared at each other. "I'm sorry..." he said. He wasn't certain where along the line they had lost touch, but he missed it deeply, and knew that not another day would pass without rectifying it.

"Don't apologize, Harry. I said it once and I believe it, everything happens for a reason. The one good thing about life, though, is that we have the free will to make our own choices." She sat back down and Harry did the same but neither of them picked up their forks. "I'm just letting you know that no matter where we are in life, we still need to remember the past that we had, and I miss that. You were one of my best friends and you still are, not hearing from you for months or even years is ever going to change that. Sometimes, people get so caught up in their lives that they miss what's important to them. I'm sorry to say that I've gotten to be that way, but I realize that the rest of it is pointless if I don't have my family and friends...and you." Tears began to prickle at the corner of her eyes and she blinked rapidly, cursing herself for being so sentimental.

"Hey..." he reached across the table and grasped her hand. He sighed and thought a moment before speaking, "Another good thing about life is to make mistakes and learn from them. Merlin knows that I've made more than my fair share of them and a few of them I still regret making." He and Ginny's relationship back at school floated through his mind and absentmindedly began caressing her hand with his thumb. "One regret I have is that I never took you to the Yule Ball in fourth year."

Ginny blinked at him in surprise and her mouth hung open until she had her wits about her again to close it. "How can you regret it, you didn't think of me as even a friend."

"Another regret," he said with a feeble smile. "In fact, I would go back and relive all of that if we could have been friends sooner."

"No, you wouldn't."

"Yes. I would."

"Do you really think that highly of me?"

"Are you really that insane? Ginny, we took and gave so much from each other and after all was said and done, I asked myself how I ever managed to do it without you for so long."

"I don't think I ever thanked you for saving my life," she said softly.

"You don't have to and, besides, you've thanked me enough."

Ginny squeezed his hand and said thickly, "Thank you."

"You would have done the same for me."

_And more, _Ginny thought. "Come on, let's eat before our food gets cold."

As they began eating again, Ginny realized that she didn't have to worry about that. It had somehow managed to stay piping hot and it tasted just as good, if not better, than it did before. Tristan popped in one more time to see how they were holding up and they spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other's company and finding new features in the décor they hadn't noticed before.

They took it upon themselves to order the chocolate sin, even though both of them were a little overly satiated by the time their entrees were taken away. "I'm going to have to run ten miles just to burn all of this off," complained Ginny, as she took in another spoonful of chocolate. She giggled a moment later as she pictured herself running around the block with a ring of chocolate around her mouth. The spoon she held slipped from her fingers and hit the bowl of melted ice cream, splattering the table and the two people sitting at it in speckles of dessert. She covered her mouth with a hand to contain her merriment when she saw Harry's eyes go wide.

Harry did his best at giving her a reproving look but failed as he saw the mess she had made of the table. He took his wand out and waved it while saying the incantation for the cleaning charm. One thing he learned was that Ginny was definitely entertaining while intoxicated, and he found himself enjoying the situation about as much as she. "If you can't even handle your eating utensils properly, I'm going to have to confiscate them from you."

Ginny's cinnamon eyes sparkled at him and she let out another girlish chortle, not comprehending that it probably wasn't all that comical. "Not without a fight, Potter," she said challengingly.

Harry raised his eyebrows and suppressed the smile wanting to form on his mouth. "You _do_ know who you're talking to, right? I'm one of the most powerful wizards in the world or something, aren't you afraid?"

"Of you?" She leaned over the table and attempted to take deep breaths in between her laughter, while Harry looked on in amusement. "You scare me about as much as...a...uh...my brothers! Don't make me laugh, my stomach hurts!"

Harry snorted, "I'm not doing anything, you're making yourself laugh."

Ginny sighed and disappeared from sight as she laid down on the bench with her knees bent up. She held her stomach and stared at the ceiling, waiting for her swimming head to clear a little. "Oh, Harry, lie down on the bench and look up," she said softly.

He shrugged and did as she told, lying down until they were head to head. His confusion cleared up when he looked at the ceiling and he smiled, "Wow, Neville didn't miss anything when he built this place, did he?"

The ceiling depicted the night sky and it was charmed to make the person think they were lying under the stars and gazing up into the endless abyss of space. A million stars twinkled and, every so often, shooting stars would glide across and disappear before hitting the barrier of the wall. It was easy to spot the constellations and various other formations as the stars involved shined particularly bright. "It's beautiful," Ginny murmured. She absentmindedly brought her hand up and began twirling her hair around her fingers. "Let's get out of here and look at the real stars."

Harry leaned his head back and caught the look of wonderment on her face. "As you wish," he said.

Ginny looked at him and smiled widely, "Princess Bride...such a romantic movie." She sighed and slowly made to sit up, ignoring the slight waves of dizziness in the process. She stood up and was still for a moment while she gathered her bearings. "Thanks for cleaning me up a few minutes ago, I'm sure I'll be groaning with embarrassment over it tomorrow."

He gently took hold of her arm and they walked out of the room, waving to Neville on their way out. Once they had escaped the even larger crowd waiting to get in, they began walking down the street back toward the Leaky Cauldron. "Do you want to stay here or go back?"

"Either or, but if we run into another one of _those_ people, then I'd rather just stay here. Can I ask you a question?" Ginny glanced up at him and proceeded without waiting for an answer. "Do you like it when fans do that?"

Harry stared at her incredulously, "Do I _like_ it? What kind of question is that?"

"A simple one, I think. I wouldn't blame you if you did, most of them are beautiful women."

He shook his head, not liking where this conversation was going in the least. "Of course I don't like it, Ginny...I guarantee the majority, if not all of them, are after me because I'm famous, not knowing that a real person resides within the celebrity. You know me better than that, I haven't liked the attention from the day I stepped into the Wizarding world."

"Why did you go into professional Quidditch, then?"

They strolled in silence for a while and Harry stared at the ground in thought. "I love being a Seeker and, at the time, I didn't think there was anything else for me."

"What about being an Auror? You didn't really tell me why you never went into that..."

"I..." he gulped and wondered if he wanted to tell her the real reason. What if she thought he was foolish for it?

Ginny saw his hesitation and grasped his hand tightly. "Harry, this is me, there's no reason you feel like you need to hide anything from me. Of course, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay, too."

"When I was in school, I thought that's what I really did want to do with my life...that was before I found out about the prophecy, though. After Voldemort was gone, I just didn't have it in me to do it anymore. I wanted to separate myself from that part of my life and that included wanting to be an Auror...I may be selfish, but in some way, I feel like I've already put my time in. Being a Seeker and flying was one of the only things that made me feel free and happy, so that's just what I did. I guess even though I'm doing what I want, I'm still kind of tied to the past, because I'll never escape the life that comes with being Harry Potter."

"Have you ever thought of leaving Quidditch?"

Harry shrugged, "A few times but, like I said, what else is out there for me?"

"Whatever you want, Harry...what is it you want?"

Harry slowed his pace at the question and didn't know he had stopped completely until Ginny let go of his hand. "A lot of things..." he said simply.

"Don't you think it's about time you lived the life that you want? Not that I'm telling you to quit Quidditch...you do it if that's what you want. I want you to be happy because it's what you deserve."

"Maybe...it's just weird to think about it. I can't see myself doing anything else, but I know that deep down I want other things...that doesn't really make sense."

"Actually, it does...you told me today that you wanted to travel. I saw the look on your face when you talked about it – I know that it's something you really want to do." She went over and sat on a bench, gazing at something in front of her. "I...I haven't exactly had the means to be able to do a lot of traveling, myself...it's kind of crazy that I would open up a travel shop and have hardly any other experience other than just reading and educating myself. You, Harry...you have the means, so go out and do it. Life is too short for regrets, you know?"

Harry came and sat down next to her, seeing the raw emotion on her face. His heart beat rapidly as the enormity of what she was saying hit him. He had no idea that she felt this way...that she had been this worried about him. What _did_ he want to do? Did he really want to play Quidditch for the rest of his life as a career? "I don't know, I need time to think about it..." Maybe there was something more out there for him. He began to feel sparks of hope that somehow, maybe he just hadn't found where he was supposed to be. He stood up and smiled while offering his hand to her, "Come on, let's go back home...maybe we can look at the stars some other night."

Ginny felt a pang of disappointment before taking hold of his hand and standing up. She looked into his eyes and immediately calmed at the swirl of emotions she saw within. They began walking down the sidewalk and she noticed that he had not let go of her hand. Thoughts of his girlfriend fleeted through her mind, but she didn't want to break the comfortable silence opening that can of worms. She smiled at the thought that Harry would want to see her again to look at the stars.

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THANK YOU, **dafalcon**, for all of your help with this chapter, I bow down before you! :u) 


	4. The Scandal

**DISCLAIMER**: Harry Potter is really cool, isn't he? So are Ginny and Neville, I think. Oh yeah and Lee Jordan. Who else is in my story that I haven't mentioned? The Weasley's and Hermione...I think that's everyone. Yes there _is_ a point and I'm getting to it.

They're not mine.

**A/N**: Here's the next installment of Ginny's Whirlwind, I had fun writing this and so I hope that you enjoy it...even if just a little bit. I want to thank my readers and reviewers, I would not be writing fan fiction if it weren't for you!

Thank you SO much to **dafalcon** for being my sounding board, you are truly an awesome person to know :u)

* * *

"I don't want to go back in through there," said Ginny, as she and Harry drew closer to The Leaky Cauldron. There was no way that she could stomach another scene like that – she had more than met her quota for bearing witness to them in her opinion. 

"You can go back alone if you'd like, I can just Apparate," Harry said reluctantly. He had quite enjoyed this evening with Ginny and didn't want to end it this soon, although he didn't quite know how to tell her that without sounding desperate.

Ginny looked at him in disbelief, "There is no way I'm going back in there alone at this hour, are you mad? Looks like it's time to break the rules, we're due for that if I'm not mistaken."

Harry would have felt bad that they had to take an alternate route home if a smile hadn't accompanied that statement. "And who are we to mess with karma?" He hesitated a moment before adding, "Gin, I really am sorry for causing such a ruckus, especially when those I'm close to have to see it."

Ginny only shrugged and, realizing they were still holding hands, let go of him and gave a half smile. "Harry, stop apologizing will you? If I haven't gotten used to this by now, then something must be wrong with me. I would be lying if I said that what happened today hasn't changed my perspective of what you deal with on a daily basis, but I'm not going to stop talking to you because of it...give me a little bit more credit than that at least."

"Yeah, okay, but it's not exactly a comfortable situation when it happens is all...from either side. Well...you ready?" he inquired with a raised brow.

"I guess...where should we do it from?" Ginny looked around them and as far as she could see, they were alone, but she didn't want to take any chances. A burst of cool night breeze flew her hair in every direction and she shivered as it made contact with her bare skin. "Knew I should've brought a jacket," she muttered as she crossed her arms over herself.

"I think if we just stepped into the entry way of The Leaky Cauldron, we can Disapparate from there and not have to worry about getting caught. Here, are you cold?" Without a second thought, he took off his jacket and held it up so she could easily maneuver her arms into the sleeves.

"Oh, Harry, you don't have to do that, I'll be fine," she said, but cursed herself a second later when another uncontrollable shiver proved that she had lied straight through her teeth.

"Stop being stubborn for two seconds and put this on or I'll force you into it," said Harry with as much authority as he could muster.

"Sounds like that would be a fun time," Ginny grinned at him. She brought her hands up and her face took on a contemplative look, "Willingly or with force? Tough decision..."

"Ginnyyy," said Harry sharply, looking at her over his glasses.

"You're such a party pooper," she mumbled before putting her arms inside the jacket Harry offered to her. She breathed a deep sigh once she was enveloped in the warmth that he had already created. "You're the best, thanks," she said softly. "I'm swimming inside this thing...back at Hogwarts we were practically the same size. You've filled out rather nicely for a scrawny little underachiever," she said teasingly while squeezing his muscular arm.

Harry laughed outright, "You know how to make a man swoon, Gin...keep those compliments coming and I'll be at your feet in no time."

"Again, sounds like a good time. Come on, let's get out of here before we have nothing better to do than stand here all night." Ginny linked her arm with his and they strolled down the sidewalk in comfortable silence.

She hadn't felt this relaxed in awhile, she admitted to herself with a wistful smile. Harry's scent permeated her nose and she found herself having nothing but all-consuming thoughts about him. She looked over at him secretively and felt her heart beat a little faster. _I can't believe that after ten years, he still has this affect on me. No one else stands a chance. _The revelation both astounded and depressed her and she almost tripped over her feet. _Friends...we're just friends...friends...friends. I can't do this to myself...not again. _"Harry." She said his name out loud, not fully intending to do so.

"Hmm?"

She swallowed the oversized lump in her throat and kept silent, wondering if she should ask him and whether she wanted to know or not. As confused and frustrated as she was over Harry, she realized that it wasn't worth it to spend her life lying to herself. _Bloody hell. _From the moment she saw him, she wanted to take him home and keep him all to herself. She wanted to forget the fact that he was one of the most famous wizards in the world and that she saw his face almost every day on a magazine or newspaper cover. She wanted to rant and rave about how unfair it was that, somewhere along the way she had fallen in love with him knowing that she never stood a chance.

"Coming up with anything interesting?" Harry inquired at her thoughtful expression.

She looked up at him again and opened her mouth, then closed it again. She couldn't do this. There was nothing that Ginny could give him that he didn't already have and she had nothing to offer him but herself. She couldn't put her heart on the line again when she had no idea what he was thinking or feeling, and especially when he wasn't totally unattached. The vague memory of seeing a picture of Harry and that blonde American on the cover of '_Witch Weekly_' made her slightly sick to her stomach, and she thought that maybe she should not have drank as much as she did.

"Oh, Ginnyyyy," said Harry in a singsong voice. "I distinctly remember you saying my name and so normally I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, that it would be followed by a question or even another one of those compliments you're so good at dishing out. Or even telling me to go away would be acceptable." He gave her a discernable glance, feeling somewhat uncomfortable at her silence. A cool gust of wind blew through her hair and he found himself wanting to tuck it behind her ear. _She really looks beautiful tonight, _he thought. As he was back in Hogwarts, he felt complete and happy when he was with her, and had the nonsensical notion that he could do anything.

"I don't want you to go away," she said softly. _How about you stay forever, Harry? _She realized they had stopped walking and she looked blinkingly up at the tattered, well-concealed door to The Leaky Cauldron. "Here already, huh?" She was reluctant to go in there again but, seeing as how there really was no other way, she sighed and pushed the door open. "Try to blend in," she said jokingly. They stepped inside, stopping in the entryway and Ginny wrapped the jacket even tighter around herself. The noise volume had drastically increased in the last couple hours and it made her flinch. "Let's go home," she mumbled toward Harry.

"Can you believe this, Inka? This ain't the same gal he was with a while ago!" a gruff voice yelled across the room.

"Sure idn't, but you surpris'? You can't 'spect someone o' his status to take 'sponsibility o' committin' to one gal. Not to mention one wit' a bun in th' oven! Just ain't right, Val...downrigh' scandalous if you as' me!"

"You don't know what you're talking about, Ink, it doesn't matter if he's the King of England! Any honorable wizard knows his priorities in life, and he's honorable...in fact, I bet you fifty Galleons he'll be proposing to her by the end of the week!" The bartender went back to wiping the counter after putting his two Knuts in.

"What are they talking about?" whispered Ginny. She squinted into the depressingly dark climate and saw that almost all of the patrons were bunched together and conversing over what she suspected to be newspapers.

"Not sure and I'm not sure I want to know," said Harry, clearly not interested in the goings on within the pub.

"I bet a hundred Poootter's gonna deny ever knowin' 'er! Pershonally, I think tha' 'Merican's juss' out fer his money! He doesn' need her, anyway, I can take good care o' him!" The drunk witch from earlier nodded her assent before lifting her tankard for another drink.

Harry's breath caught in his throat and he froze where he stood, feeling as if a ton of bricks had settled down in his stomach. _What the hell..? _The feeling of dread only intensified each second they were there.

"Harry?" Ginny's face had gone pale and she looked up at him, obviously waiting for him to say something.

"Get yer head outta yer arse, Matilda, Harry Potter's never run away from responsibility a day in 'is life! If it's 'is, there ain't no way he'll not do ev'rything he can to do right by 'er."

Harry had stopped listening by now, feeling physically sick at what he would see staring back at him on those newspapers. He felt Ginny tug on his arm and he looked down at her blankly.

"Harry?" Ginny whispered, not quite believing that her world had just up heaved itself within a matter of seconds.

He heard a few gasps and he turned his head back to the dank room to see that people were finally realizing that he was there. He felt even sicker at the glances he was receiving and he turned to look at a stricken Ginny. He swallowed convulsively before finally forcing himself to gain control of his limbs again. He withdrew his wand, pointed it at the crowd and croaked, "_Accio newspapers_." Seven different sizes and shapes of paper flew at him and he caught each one in his arms. "Gin, can I...can I go back to your place? Please."

Ginny finally seemed to come out of her trance and she caught Harry's pleading look. She opened her mouth to respond, although no words came out, so she just nodded. Her gaze flickered to the offending newspapers and her heart pounded even harder. _This can't be true...this just can't be true... _

Harry nodded sullenly and a moment later he Disapparated, leaving a confused and horrified Ginny behind. She felt all of the blood rush from her head and she swayed on the spot, her vision becoming dim. _No, Ginny, get a grip on yourself for Merlin's sake! _She took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes, not caring that everyone was staring at her with unabashed interest. It was only when they started to have whispered conversations amongst themselves did Ginny open her eyes and glare at them before Disapparating herself.

She reappeared outside the door to her apartment and looked around to see Harry sitting on the swing she had placed in the miniscule patch of grass that was included with the shop. She quietly walked over and sat down next to him, shock still preventing her from talking. Harry had not bothered to read what the papers said, they were clutched tightly to his chest and he was staring down at the ground as if in a daydream. They sat in silence for a while and Ginny began to fidget at the heaviness in the air. "Come inside, Harry," she said finally and stood up to unlock the door. She had to prompt him again before he got to his feet and shuffled over to her like a weight had been placed on his shoulders. She gestured him inside and he obeyed without making any kind of argument. She saw the rigid outline of his face and she couldn't make out exactly what he was thinking or feeling at that moment – he was keeping it well hidden. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and he jumped, "Let's go up, I'll make some tea."

He nodded subtly and mechanically followed her up the stairs and inside to the kitchen area. He dropped like a dead weight onto the chair and the newspapers fell out of his arms and scattered on the tabletop. "I..." he swallowed with difficulty.

"Harry...what..." Ginny stopped, not quite knowing where to start or even begin to comprehend what was happening. So she began to straighten up her kitchen and go about getting the teapot out to heat up water. Normally, she would just wave her wand and have it be over with in five seconds but there was just too much energy within her to expel. She turned the stove on and went to get cups out of the cabinet when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Harry looking at her with a pained expression and she stared back, not quite knowing what to say to him.

"Harry, I...I don't understand...do you know what they were talking about?" She already knew the answer judging by the look in his eyes. "Did you...? Is it that woman...? Is she really...?" She broke eye contact with him when she felt her face begin to heat up. She needed to keep her personal feelings out of this and concentrate on Harry's obvious distress, even if for just a few minutes. "Just tell me if there is any or could be any truth to this, Harry," she said with her eyes closed. She heard him breathe loudly and then a rustling sound as he drug his hand through his hair. She turned her back to him and put her hands on the counter, gazing at the steam that escaped the teapot.

"Yes."

Ginny gulped and closed her eyes again, not quite prepared for that answer. "Yes, it's true or yes, it could be true?" she asked tightly.

"It...I think it could be true. I..." she heard him gulp. "I haven't seen her in about six months, though."

Ginny's breath caught as she inhaled and she leaned down further on the counter until she was resting on her elbows. She was certain that she couldn't handle to hear another word about his relationship with a woman who was possibly pregnant with his..._his_ child. "This is a nightmare," she whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Gin, but I'm just as confused by this as you are..."

"Let me see one of those newspapers...please," she said morosely. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, knowing that prolonging it would only cause her pain to be even more devastating.

He hesitated before going to retrieve the first paper he touched and brought it back over without reading it. He set it on the counter in front of her and then leaned back to stare at the opposite wall. He didn't have to read anything to know what the papers already said, he had heard enough in the pub. He crossed his arms and leaned his head forward to wait for Ginny to get done reading. He didn't think he would ever understand how their evening together had started out so comfortably and then ended with him feeling like his life was crashing down around him. How could this have happened and how did the press get a hold of something this life altering before he even knew anything? Ginny was right, this was a nightmare and it was worse than any that Voldemort had caused back in school. Most of all, on top of the complete embarrassment of the situation, he felt ashamed at what Ginny must be thinking about him at the moment. _Anna would never do something like this...would she? She would have told me about this way before now..._The thought of what the newspapers were implying hit him full force and he leaned over as far as he could and tried has hard as he could so as not to start hyperventilating or pass out. "This can't be happening..."

Ginny ignored him and took a deep breath before opening her eyes to begin reading the words that acted like a knife to her heart the moment she set eyes on them.

_**Boy Who Lived: Father Who Lived?**_

_by Constance Bunchkin_

_It has come to this reporter's attention that Harry Potter, a.k.a. The Boy Who Lived and Quidditch Seeker extraordinaire, is going to become a father to a little witch or wizard in just a few short months. The mother is said to be Anna Scott, an Unmentionable in the New York based Ministry of Magic who just recently headed the Mackey-Lochen project. _

_When asked about the state of her relationship with our young protagonist, Miss Scott only said that, "Harry and I are very close and I wish him well." The respected source of this newfound information indicated to this reporter that Miss Scott is now in her second trimester with her first child and has gone to great lengths to conceal the father's identity. _

_Upon Mr. Potter's travels to the United States as Seeker for the Lincolnshire Beckhams, he often frequented Miss Scott's flat in Manhattan's upper west side, and have even been spotted exchanging affections at the more trendy eateries downtown. "You could surmise that they are more than just friends if you ever saw them together," says a close friend of Miss Scott's. "Personally, I think they make a cute couple and Harry would make an excellent father." _

_Is it time for The Boy Who Lived to hang up his Quidditch robes and finally settle down? Having been in the spotlight for the better part of his life, most of his fans are well known to the fact that Mr. Potter's penchant for flightiness might have something to do with his notably private past and the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, which marked a milestone in the young man's continued list of accomplishments (for more details on the fall of the Dark Lord, please consult page A4). After the war was over, he went on to become a world-renowned Seeker for the Beckhams and one could say that he took on the life of a carefree bachelor. _

"_One who has lived the kind of life such as he, has the tendency to set aside their morals and virtues for an undeterminable amount of time and they tend to shy away from responsibility, most likely due to events stemming from their childhood," states Star Lyndon, author of _'How Your Past Defines You'_. "Eventually, their actions catch up with them and they find themselves being held accountable for more than they are prepared for." _

Not being able to read another word, Ginny tore her eyes away from the article feeling a lot worse than when she started. She looked over and saw that while she was engrossed in reading, Harry had taken the teapot off the stove and poured each of them a cup. He was now sitting back at the table staring absentmindedly at the wall while doodling on the table with his fingers. "Harry..." she felt her heart clench in her chest and she went over to sit down across from him. "You...you aught to go to her," she said thickly.

"How, Ginny? I...I don't know if I can. Is it...is it as bad as I think it is?" He asked, referring to the article Ginny read.

"Compared to others that I've read, it's not the most flattering. This isn't like any other article I've ever read, though. Harry, you really need to go, you need to find out for sure. It's the right thing to do."

"I haven't seen Anna in six months, I don't understand how I could be..." he froze then as a wave of dizziness passed over him. He bent down again and put his head between his knees. "I can't believe this, Ginny...whether it's true or not, it's still a private matter. I've never felt so violated; it's humiliating."

Ginny couldn't disagree with him as even she knew that he was right, no one had the right to know about something this personal. Before she could think about what she was saying she blurted, "Did you use...protection?" She felt as if she were about to be sick and even sat on the edge of her chair to run for the bathroom if need be.

Harry brought his head up and looked at her like she had just grown two other heads. "Of course we did!" The awkwardness of the conversation was too much for him and he stood up, walked into the living room and began pacing back and forth. "I can't go to New York now, she works at night so she's not even home." He worked his hands furiously through his hair and let out a curse. "Megan's not here, is she?" He didn't want anyone to watch him while he was in the middle of a mental breakdown.

"No, she went out with a couple of her girlfriends to dinner and the theater in Muggle London," she said flatly.

"I can't be a father, I'm only twenty two years old!" he said wildly. "If it were even true that I am, why didn't she try to contact me? I can't believe that it was Anna that would do this to me...she wouldn't! This is nobody's business! My life and my private affairs are NOBODY'S BUSINESS! I can't do this anymore, Ginny, I'm done! I can't walk down the street without someone knowing about it, nothing that I have is my own and it's always been that way! This isn't just about my getting a new broom or a...a...a new hairstyle, this is about me possibly becoming a bloody FATHER, and how do I find out about it? Through a bloody NEWSPAPER! No, not even that, it's more like the drunk patrons of the bloody LEAKY CAULDRON! I can't face anyone right now or I swear with everything that I have that I will curse every single last one of those gits that have nothing better to do than write about my pointless existence! Put me in Azkaban prison, do you think that I care?! At least then I will finally get some privacy, I won't have reporters knocking at my door to inquire about what I'm going to do next!"

Ginny sat staring openmouthed with shock at Harry as he treaded on her carpet, gesturing ferociously with his hands and yelled heatedly. She had never seen him act like this and, if the circumstances were not so grave, she would have laughed out loud at the fact that he would never have done this when he was younger.

Harry stopped dead and sat down on the couch, sighing in resignation. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands, calming his rampant breathing. "What am I going to do, Ginny?" he said in an almost scared voice.

Ginny quietly got up and went to sit next to him. Setting her own feelings aside, she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and leaned forward to lay her cheek against his back. "Honestly, I can't tell you what to do. But I do know you, Harry, and I know that you can't let this go until you know for sure. It doesn't matter what the papers say, you have always been true to yourself and to those that you care for. You may not be prepared to handle something as big as this right now, but I know that you _will_ do everything in your power to do what you can. Whether you believe it or not, you are a tremendously strong person and you can handle a lot...unfortunately, at times it has been more than you should have to deal with. But you will get through this, you're not alone, you know that?"

She saw him nod, although it did nothing to change his downcast face and rigid posture. "Harry, look at me." She waited a few seconds before raising her hand up and forcing him to look at her. Her eyes softened when she saw the fear that resided within his green depths. "You are _not_ alone, you have family and friends that are behind you always. Screw the press and the newspapers, that is not what you are and you know that. I can't say that I know how frustrating it is to have your life mapped out for the world to see, but you can't let that get to you, it's not worth all of this anger that you have built up inside of you."

"You don't get it, Ginny. So many things have been written about me that aren't even true and sooner or later, people get so confused about what is fact and what is false. I'm tired of having to explain myself to everyone with everything that I do, half of it gets misconstrued and I end up looking like one of Voldemort's followers. And ten years down the road when someone writes something about me, it will all be drudged up and the vicious cycle starts all over again. This isn't something that I can just 'let go', it affects me too much to ignore. I don't even know who I am anymore and I can't even begin to explain how much that terrifies me."

"Then I can offer you this little bit of advice. Figure out who you are, Harry, and I promise you that you will never look back. The biggest mistake that you can make is to go through life believing what the papers tell you or what anyone else thinks about you. There can be a whole periodical devoted to you, but you know what? _I_ could write it and it would still never be one hundred percent accurate. Each person has the right to a life and they have the right to live it...they have the _will_ to choose how they are going to live it and it's nobody else's business. Those papers...it's purely for entertainment purposes, they don't care how much those articles impact you, they only care about how much business they can get. If you let it affect you that much, then some soul searching is obviously in order. You're such an amazing person, Harry...you have a good heart with a strong head on your shoulders. You're so much more important than what those rubbish excuses for gossips say and, one day, I hope that you realize it."

Harry sighed deeply and looked at Ginny's searching eyes. "I meant it when I said that I don't think I can do this anymore. More often than not, I have wished that I could be somebody else, even if for just a day. That's pathetic, isn't it?"

"No, I've thought the same thing about myself...it's more common than you think, actually." She thought back to her days when she was hopelessly enamored by Harry and wished that she could have been Cho Chang, the girl he had been infatuated by in his fourth and fifth years. She shook her head at the absurdness of it, but at the same time, felt that she wouldn't have changed a thing regarding her actions and thoughts toward Harry.

"I'll go see her tomorrow," Harry broke into her thoughts with a strained voice. "You're right, I have to do this...thanks for always being there for me." He grabbed hold of her hand and held on tightly, as if afraid that she would slip away. He felt somewhat at ease now that he had more or less forced her to listen to him and the mere fact that he was just there with her.

"Erm...Harry? Is Anna your...uh...girlfriend?"

Harry didn't feel at all like Ginny was prying and he found himself answering her without hesitation. "She _was_...the break up was amicable, we decided that it was just too much to maintain such a long-distance relationship."

"Where did you meet her?" Ginny didn't know why she wanted to know so much about her but she felt intrigued by the woman that had managed to catch Harry's attention like that.

"At a Ministry event in New York. While I was over there for a Quidditch match, I received an invitation to it and I accepted. She was one of the speakers and she was so passionate about her speech that I just found myself wanting to get to know her better. The papers, of course, made her out to be 'just another one of my quests'," he said, holding his hands up in quotation marks, face screwed up in disgust. "I just can't believe that she would do this," he pointed to the papers lying haphazardly on the table. "It's just not something that she's capable of...I don't understand why she would keep something of this magnitude a secret from me, though. Maybe I'm not the...father." The word sounded foreign coming out of his mouth but he said it with a grain of hope, and he kept it within him; it was the only thing that was keeping him from losing it completely.

"She sounds like she's really special to you," she said so quietly, he had to strain to hear her.

"I think that I'll always appreciate the time that we had, but that part of my life is over with. I will go see her tomorrow and...I'll deal with whatever happens. Ginny, can I...can I stay here tonight? I can't face anyone right now, I just don't think I would be able to control myself."

"Of course, you can stay as long as you want," Ginny gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you," he sighed in relief. He looked over at the newspapers and pulled out his wand, saying clearly, "_Evanesco_!" He felt a semblance of satisfaction the moment the pile disappeared from sight and looked over at Ginny with a genuine smile.

Ginny found herself smiling back and they sat for a good minute in silence, staring at each other and she felt that feeling again, as if something had changed between them. "Ahem...well, I'm going to go change...you don't have anything to sleep in, do you? I may have something I think, we can just alter them if needed."

He nodded, "Sure...I'm sorry if I'm being a burden-"

"Nonsense, I don't want to hear those words come out of your mouth again, got it? You never were and you never will be a burden."

An overwhelming feeling of gratitude surged through him and the next thing he knew, he had wrapped Ginny in another embrace much to her surprise. "Whoa!" she said good-naturedly and he felt her tighten her arms around him. He buried his face in her hair and took a deep breath, losing himself in her exotic scent. He felt his heartbeat quicken at how near she was to him, but he thought that he wanted her to be even closer. He knew he wasn't in his rational mind but it was too far gone for him to find it and get it back, and so he bent his head down nearer to hers. "You smell good," he murmured close to her ear.

Ginny shivered when his warm breath caressed her ear and she knew she should have moved away to a safer distance, but she was too mesmerized by him to think clearly. "Thanks," she whispered, burying her face in his chest and losing herself to nothing else but the two of them and the heat coming off of him and into her. "So do you." He smelled better than good – she was tingling from the sheer pleasure of his masculinity. _This isn't such a good idea, Ginny; thinking about him like this doesn't get you anywhere. _She found herself not caring. His strong arms were around her and she never felt as safe as she did at this moment. She didn't think it possible, but her love for him grew even stronger and she wanted to protect him from everything that made him feel insecure and scared.

They both pulled back at the same moment and their eyes met as if magnetized to one another. Harry looked down into her cinnamon depths and counted his blessings that she had not turned him away as he had expected. He had always admired her and her family for having stuck by him through the years, even when they had been put in danger. As close has he had gotten to them, Ginny had always been the one that remained a permanent comfort to him and he would remain in her debt until he parted from this world. "Gin..." he brought his hand up and ran his fingers through her hair before tucking it behind her ear. "I missed you so much when I was away."

Ginny saw his emerald eyes turn even darker as they continued to gaze at each other and after awhile, she realized that he was allowing himself to remain vulnerable to her. She was humbled by the trust he placed in her and she smiled with a hint of melancholy. "Me too," she whispered, and brought up a hand to feel the smooth skin of his cheek. She wanted to tell him so much what she was feeling but knew that it wasn't the right time for it. Perhaps the right moment would never show itself, but she was now certain that she would never feel for anyone else what she felt for Harry.

"Do you wish sometimes that things would have been different?" Harry asked suddenly.

The question was so general that anyone else would have been confused by it, but Ginny had a notion that he was referring to their relationship toward the end of school. She had almost thought that Harry reciprocated her feelings and felt that he had been on the verge of telling her when Voldemort returned with a vengeance. It was at that point that Ginny had become incessant with helping in any way possible to bring Voldemort down. She had given Harry his time alone that she knew he needed and although he never pushed her away, things had never gone back to how they were before. She missed that more than anything but didn't know how to express just how must she longed to get that back.

"Yes and no," she admitted. "I believe that if things hadn't happened how they did, that we probably wouldn't be standing here. There are always going to be good and bad times and things are always going to happen that are unexpected, but I like where I am now. And you're here standing in front of me, alive and in one piece," she smiled and ran her hand to his neck. "You still carry this scar with you," she reached her hand up and touched his forehead with the lightest of touches. He didn't shy away or even bat an eye under her ministrations, having allowed her to do it before. "It symbolizes what you have lived through and the strength and courage you have that enabled you to overcome it. It's not a curse anymore, it's a part of you now...only you."

He grew warm at her touch and couldn't tear his eyes away from her as she spoke every so softly to him. He lifted his arm up and took hold of her hand, brought it down to his lips and kissed her palm.

Ginny's eyes widened at the contact and almost moaned at the powerful sensations that small gesture produced. Her heart felt as if it were about to pound out of her chest and yet she couldn't pull herself away. His lips moved over her hand agonizingly slow until it reached the pulse in her wrist and he placed another kiss there. "Harry..." she managed to get out.

He looked at her without removing his lips from her skin and saw the raw emotion, which encouraged him to lace his fingers with hers. "I wished that one thing could have been different, Gin..."

"I'm not sure you should tell me," she said breathlessly.

He stepped a little closer to her until they were barely touching and he kept his gaze pinned on her. "Do you know what it is?"

She lowered her eyelids slightly and swallowed painfully, closing her fingers around Harry's convulsively. "I think so...I wasn't wrong, then," she said, almost to herself.

He brought up his other hand and ran it through her hair again, memorizing the softness as it flowed like red wine over his fingers. "No," he whispered.

She let out a small sound like a sob and closed her eyes at the swelling of rage toward Voldemort for having destroyed their chance with each other, her chance at being happy. "Life is so unfair, sometimes," she looked at him, eyes bright with unshed tears. "You can't imagine how long I wanted..._yearned_ for you to take some kind of interest in me. It's a good thing Voldemort is gone, because I would kill him again with no qualms," she said with no trace of humor.

"You said that everything happens for a reason...maybe it just wasn't the right time." He moved his hand down to her bare shoulder and ran his fingers slowly down her arm. "Do you think it will ever be the right time?"

She shivered under his caress and became so engrossed by him that she didn't answer his question until it registered with her after a few moments. "I..." Should she tell him the truth or give him a safe answer for the both of them? "I don't know, honestly...while I'm still being honest with you, I'm not thinking too clearly with you doing that."

The intensity of their exchange moved up another notch and he gazed intently at her. "I suppose I should ask you that question again when we're both of sound mind, then..." He moved his hand to her cheek and lifted her face gently until their eyes met once more.

"I really don't think this is a good idea, Harry," her voice trembled. They were both just dealt an emotional blow and she didn't think that taking advantage of the situation was the smartest thing. Yes, she wanted it more than anything, but what would happen tomorrow when he left? His future was uncertain, and he had so much to figure out about himself and the new revelation that she knew he was not ready to accept her into his life like she wanted.

"No...no, me neither." He ran his thumb over the soft skin of her bottom lip and he moved his eyes to where his hand was, and his breathing became labored. _You can't do this. This is definitely not a good idea in any way, shape or form. _The desire thrumming through his veins muffled out the logical voice in his head and he inched closer to her beautiful face. "I've been wanting to do this since I was sixteen, Ginny. There's no use in being angry over what could have been, but you can do something about it as soon as possible. It may still not be the right time, but I think we've both waited long enough."

Harry wanted to kiss her and she was fairly confident that she wanted it even more but something still tugged on her subconscious. "Promise me that no matter what happens, you will never regret it. I...I don't think I could handle it if you did."

Harry's hands came up to her face and cupped it, "You're so beautiful, Ginny. Your heart is beautiful...you've always been there for me, even when you hardly knew me. You watched after me, didn't you?"

Ginny felt her eyes burn with tears that threatened to overflow but she squelched them down and swallowed the heavy lump in her throat. "Why are you telling me these things?"

"I'm trying to tell you that these are the reasons that made me want to be with you, it's what made me want to hold your hand and to kiss you. I will die before I ever regret having the privilege of knowing you or doing this." He was done talking and, before either of them knew what was happening, his lips were on hers.

Having not recovered from Harry's words, she kept still for a moment as she got used to the feel of his lips. They felt exactly as she had always imagined – warm, soft, yet strong. Only when he moved his mouth over hers, did she finally respond by encompassing his neck with her arms and moving in closer until their bodies molded together.

Harry let out a soft groan at the contact and he splayed his hands on her hips to feel as much of her as he could. He had waited so long to be able to do this that he was going to make sure that it lasted as long as possible. He put more pressure on her mouth until she opened to him and he deepened the kiss.

Ginny's head was spinning and the longer the kiss lasted, the more she felt as if she were floating on air. All thoughts of reality were swept away in the sensations that they were causing together and she moaned when he deepened their kiss. She unclasped her hands and took his glasses off without breaking contact and threw them in the direction of the couch. She then fisted his hair and moved in even closer to him, wanting to feel as much as she could. She kissed him back with all that she had, conveying with her mouth how much he meant to her. The air surrounding them seemed to crackle and it made the hair on the back of Ginny's neck stand up, but she ignored it as Harry's mouth moved expertly with hers.

Harry tore his mouth away to explore further but Ginny moaned in protest and held his head firmly in place, mating her mouth to his again almost aggressively. He moved his hands to her back and started to travel lower—

"Ahem."

With that, Harry and Ginny parted with gasping breaths and they turned in unison toward the door Megan had just walked in a second ago. All three stood there in silence as two of them tried to bring their heads back under the clouds and the third just watched on in amusement. "Looks like you two had a good time...well, excuse me, I'm just going to go to my room." With a smile she walked passed them and quietly closed her door behind her.

"Wow," whispered Ginny as she sat on the edge of the couch.

Harry just stared at the space he thought Megan was standing in a moment ago, not sure if he had been seeing things or not. Not a sound could be heard except for their breathing as it returned to normal and Ginny finally stood up just for something to do.

"Okay, uh...I'll go get you some pajamas then. Extra blankets and pillows are in the closet over there." Without waiting for a response, she went to her room and began looking through her dresser drawers for clothes that were not going to embarrass Harry if he wore them. "Oh, Ginny, what the bloody hell are you going to do, now?"


	5. The Whirlwind

**DISCLAIMER:** Those that you recognize are not mine. Those that you don't _are_. :u)

**A/N:** Finally back with the next installment, I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for being so patient (or being impatient, but not emailing me begging for an update). Oy...what to say...it's 2:30 in the morning and the chapter is ready to go live after a couple weeks of immense frustration and beta-ing.

One note I have is that I will be EXTREMELY busy in the next two weeks with class and moving, so I'll probably not get another update out for at least that amount of time. Thank you so much for hanging in there, each and every one of my readers are so important to me and I love you all.

Thank you to dafalcon and LaurelinElentari for being my patient betas :o)

* * *

"Ginny? You awake?" whispered Harry.

"No, I'm sleeping, but I'm talking with my eyes open...bet no one else can do that."

"Can I...can we...can I talk to you?"

Ginny had her back to him and she was staring out of the window at the waning moon, her eyes were practically stuck open from not blinking for the past half hour. Her body felt on edge and the pillow she clutched in front of her took the brunt of her frustration. "Yeah," she muttered.

"Do you want to come out here?" Harry's head was poking into her door and the sliver of light from the hallway fell across Ginny's bed, illuminating the soft curves of her body. His hand tightened on the doorframe and all he could do was stare in awe at how beautiful she looked.

"No, not especially." She finally blinked and her eyes screamed in protest but she ignored it and reluctantly moved from her comfortable position until she was sitting up and leaning against the headboard. She patted the space next to her, "You can come in here, there's plenty of room." _What are you doing, Ginny? _She cast aside the warning inside her head and instead gazed unseeingly at the opposite wall, not really caring about a whole lot at the moment.

Not many words were exchanged between them after Ginny came back out to the living room with clothes for Harry. When she had to enlarge a pair of green boxers and lengthen a gray t-shirt, she realized just how much Harry had grown in the past four years and much to Ginny's dismay, it only intensified her desire for him. She had gone straight back to her room after her job was done and hastily changed into her own shorts and shirt before laying on the bed, having not moved an inch until now.

"Are you sure, I don't want to make this uncomfortable or anything..."

Ginny heard the hesitancy in his voice and she rolled her eyes. "Potter, when I say come in here, I mean come in here, I wouldn't have said it if I was uncomfortable." _More like feeling the urge to throw caution to the wind and do a great deal more than snog. _She cringed and thought that maybe being in such close proximity to him right now wouldn't be a good idea. _It doesn't matter I'm going to make certain nothing happens, _she thought with a subtle nod of her head. She heard him hesitate a few moments longer and she held her breath, wishing at the same time that he would decide to go away and that he would come sit next to her.

"Okay...do you want me to, uh...keep the door open?"

"Unless you want Megan to hear our conversation, then I would say no, the walls aren't exactly sound proof and there's more space between our rooms. I'll turn these lights on, it should be alright." She picked up her wand from her night table and pointed it toward her ceiling, murmuring, "_Lumos_." The long strand of white Christmas lights that she had hung up a while back filled the room with a soft glow and she smiled. Even when she was in the worst of moods, the lights always managed to soothe her.

Harry walked into her room with tentative steps and slowly closed the door behind him. He paused, not sure whether he should sit on her bed or not, so he instead examined his surroundings with interest. He could tell that Ginny liked simplified living, as there was no clutter in her room that he could see. The wallpaper was a mixture of small white and light pink stripes with what looked like faeries bordering the ceiling. He wasn't sure by the dimness of the room but he could've sworn that they moved ever so slightly every once in awhile. One door to her closet was open and he noticed a small pile of discarded clothing lying on the floor next to it, which appeared to be the only unorganized feature. A small television and a stereo sat on an entertainment center situated along the opposite wall as her bed and he smiled at that. "Hermione got you hooked on the Muggle technology, didn't she?"

Ginny let out a soft giggle, "How did you ever guess? It's kind of like Quidditch, really – once I've been introduced to it, I can't live without it. There are worse things to be addicted to, I suppose." _Like you. Except you're the best thing that I've ever been addicted to. _Coloring ever so slightly even though Harry couldn't hear her thought, Ginny patted the space next to her, "I promise that this is more comfortable than you look, so get over here." She turned her face toward the window and looked at the moon, anticipating the moment when she would feel the impress of him when he sat on her bed.

Harry looked at Ginny through narrowed eyes and he bit his lip. The kiss that they shared earlier did nothing to appease the ache inside of him. If anything, it left him wanting more and he wasn't so sure that he would be able to be in the same bed with her without keeping himself neutral. He just shrugged and hoped for the best before making his way to the edge of her bed. "You have a nice, ah...bed."

Ginny shrugged, "It's alright, I got it secondhand and I've had it ever since I got out of school. I've been meaning to go shopping for a new one but haven't really taken the time, been kind of busy."

Harry nodded absentmindedly and then gazed down at his side of the bed, then back at her before lowering himself onto the mattress. He crossed his ankles and folded his hands across his lap, attempting to acquire a sense of comfort. He looked around her room silently for a few moments and his eyes fell on the white orbs of light. After awhile, he understood how they could put one in a trance if one stared at them long enough. "Those are nice," he said softly.

"Yeah, they always make me feel better if I'm in a bad mood or anxious...if it's a really bad day, I tend to play music, too. I guess today could be constituted as one of those days."

Harry remained silent and stared at one bulb on the other wall, attempting to put his myriad of thoughts into something resembling order. Through everything that happened tonight, Anna and the pregnancy remained a constant in the back of his mind and he had not wanted to think about what would happen if the newspapers ended up being true. What Ginny had said had been exactly what he had felt – he needed to find out or he wouldn't be able to live with himself. What was going to happen tomorrow? How was Anna going to act and how was he going to handle it? What was he going to do if this baby was his? Would he move to New York? _What's going to happen with us? _Harry turned his head and looked fixedly at Ginny, wondering what was going through her head. His hand twitched with the urge to reach up and feel her flaming red locks once more but he held himself at bay.

"It was my fifth year," Ginny said almost dreamily, "and I was sitting at one of the tables in the common room trying to finish a Transfiguration essay. I was concentrating pretty hard on it because I had only six inches done and I needed twelve in order to turn it in. I remember that there were quite a few people in there...you, Ron, Hermione and Neville were on the other side of the room, so far away that I couldn't hear any of you. I looked up and you were looking back at me, then you smiled before turning back to whatever it was you were doing. This was right before you and I started to become close and, since it was my O.W.L.'s year, I spent a lot of time alone. That was the first time I realized that I could literally _feel_ it when you looked at me. It happened before that point, of course, but I never really took the time to understand it." She fingered the edge of the pillow behind her and her eyes turned upward toward her lights, finding comfort in the nervousness she was feeling. "That's how I know you're looking at me right now."

"What does it feel like?" he asked quietly. Every word that came out of her mouth was like water to his parched soul and he couldn't take his eyes off her even though she had caught him in the act. _How can I be feeling and thinking these things, I thought they were long gone. _He didn't bother delving into that and waited patiently for her answer.

Ginny's skin tingled at his voice, or maybe it was the fact that he was looking at her, and she wanted so badly to get closer and lose herself in him but she kept herself stubbornly in place. "Before I acknowledged it, it was just a vague feeling that someone was watching me and sometimes I would look up and smile at you and other times I just ignored it. After that night it just got stronger, it was harder to shake the feeling and so I always paid attention to it and it turned out that you were always the one that was looking. I was never annoyed by it...if anything, I was comforted that you were watching after me." She smiled and decided to answer his question from before, "Just as I had watched over you."

Ginny leaned her head back onto the headboard and looked up at the ceiling in reverie. "I have that feeling now," she murmured. "My heart kind of speeds up and it's like a pixie is loose inside my stomach...it's a rather pleasant feeling actually, it's one that I'm not unfamiliar with," she said, recalling the euphoria she always felt after she got the smallest glance of Harry when she was younger.

Harry's gaze moved over the smooth skin of her face and then down to where her shirt came to a 'V' at her neck. "You're beautiful, you know that?" he said with almost a hint of worship in his voice.

Ginny closed her eyes and let his praise sink into her, her mouth moving up into a smile of its own accord. "So are you," she whispered back. A ghost of the little girl inside of her showed through and a blush rose to her cheeks at having been so bold with him tonight. That didn't mean she wasn't brave enough to act on her feelings, however. Before she could stop herself, she shifted slightly and brought her hand up and ran a finger along his cheek until she touched the corner of his mouth.

Harry turned to see that her face was mere inches away from his own and he sucked in a deep breath at the desire swirling around in her brown orbs. "Gi-"

Ginny leaned forward the rest of the way and cut off her name with her lips. She pulled back slightly and gazed at him, "Shut up for just a second." She turned even more and then settled her mouth against his once again. _This is even better than the first time. _She thought no more as both of their mouths opened at the same time and they fused together even more. She felt Harry's hand slide up her stomach and over to her waist before slowly running it up her back. Little shivers overtook her and it left her wanting to feel more of his touch. Her neck was beginning to ache from the odd angle and so she slowly got up onto her knees and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, hooked a leg over his until she was comfortably on top of him.

Harry let out a low sound at the feel of Ginny's warm body pressed against him as they kissed, and his hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her in until not much room was left between them. The heat coming off one or both of them, he wasn't sure, wrapped them in a cocoon and reality had long since left the vicinity of her bedroom. He broke himself away and was determined to taste more of her this time. He vaguely felt Ginny's hands run through his hair to pull him back but he held back, running his mouth along her jaw until it reached her earlobe. He darted his tongue out before gently taking it into his mouth and giving it a nibble before letting it go.

Ginny was in heaven, she was sure of it. Being in Harry's arms and feeling his hands and mouth were the most exquisite sensations she had ever known. She bunched his hair in her hands as he made a trail of kisses down her neck and then over to where she was most sensitive. His hands reached under the hem of her shirt and made small caresses on her back while he nipped and suckled and breathed on her neck, which produced a loud moan from her. _Oh, Merlin, does she smell good...this is wrong, we have to stop. This can't happen here, not now..._

He very reluctantly disengaged his mouth from her body and looked up into her flushed face. "Gin," he whispered. "We should stop..."

Ginny opened her eyes and lowered her head to focus on his face. "Stop..." She knew he was right but that's the last thing she wanted to do. She almost felt like yelling out in frustration as she slid off of him and back to her own side of the bed, trying to get her breathing back to normal. _So much for staying away, Gin. _After a few minutes of silence she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "I feel like I'm about to burst...there's a lot inside of me that I wish I could just let out. There's a lot I wish that I could tell you, but I just can't. I feel like I'm never going to see you again after tomorrow."

"You'll always see me, Gin, you think you're going to kick me out of the family that easily?"

"No, but what if you end up having to move to New York? I'm trying to be realistic here and I know that is what you are going to do if..." despair spiraled within her and she turned her head toward the window so he couldn't see it. "If you end up having to move to another continent and another life, we both know that...there will never be a good time," she admitted softly.

"I know that I can't possibly be the father of her baby, I...it's just not possible," he said with certainty. "It's all speculation on the part of the reporters and that's what makes me angry, is that they do this without thinking of the effects that it will have on the people involved."

"You said so yourself that there was a chance and I can't help thinking the worst, Harry. I suppose it wouldn't be the worst, though, becoming a father...it's one of life's greatest gifts. It's just...I can't imagine..." she wasn't sure how to put it and so she closed her mouth. If she were to be honest with herself, she would detect an emotion of jealousy toward the woman that Ginny had never met, but had been a part of Harry's life in a way that she never had been. She didn't want Harry to move so far away from her that she never got to see him and, above all, she didn't want it to be because he had become the father of another woman's baby. A fresh wave of nausea swept over her and she slid down until she was laying down facing Harry. She brought her knees up as far as they'd go before they touched Harry's leg and held her stomach. "I can't stand this," she moaned softly.

Harry brought a hand to her hair and gently swept it away from her face. "I'm so sorry about this, it isn't fair to you...it's not fair period but I can't just ignore this...I just can't."

"I know," she whispered. "I'm sorry, too. It's funny how when you're young that you have this idea in your head about how your life is going to be. I'm happy with what I've accomplished but it's not what I expected...it's kind of disappointing to my inner child." She looked up into Harry's eyes and smiled at the way he was looking at her. "What?"

"What did you want to do?"

"No, I couldn't possibly say, it's much too embarrassing..." Ginny began to feel flustered and she turned her head slightly until she had her face partially hidden in the pillow.

"Come on," he begged with a little push at her shoulder. "With the way you've behaved today, there is no way that shy little girl is still inside you. Open up and spill, I think we passed the keeping secrets phase a long time ago."

"Okay, fine, but close your eyes first."

"Are you serious? Why would I do tha-"

"Just do it and ask no questions...this is really for my own sanity."

Harry peered at her questioningly but after receiving a glowering look from Ginny, he closed his eyes, feeling rather foolish for having to do this when they were both mature adults. "Okay, they're closed...happy?"

"Not really." She took this chance to study him privately, running her eyes over his masculine features and the black hair that fell over his brow. "Your hair just gets messier with every day that passes." She unwittingly reached up until her fingers touched the smooth definition of his jaw and traced a path down the side of his neck.

Surprised at Ginny's touch, he opened his eyes and reached for her hand, bringing it down until it rested on the bed in between them. "You shouldn't do that," he said quietly. "What happened to the nervous Ginny that was just here a second ago?"

"You misunderstand, Harry. This...this is the life I wanted when I was younger."

"Huh?"

"You would be naïve to think that my 'fascination' with you started in my first year."

"I'm confused...you didn't even know me. What do I have to do with what life you wanted when you grew up?"

_Okay, maybe he is a wee bit clueless... _Ginny shook her head and turned over carefully so that she was on her back. She was beginning to feel restless over this conversation and with the circumstances being how they were, telling him that she had wanted her life to begin and end with him would do no good for either of them. _It would do good for you, but not in the way that you want, _a voice inside her said softly. "Harry...we've already been through more than I was prepared to handle tonight, I'm just not sure I can give any more of myself away without it coming back to bite me tomorrow. It may do some good to get things out in the open, but once it's out there I can't take it back, you know?"

"I understand that, but why is it such a big issue when both of us know that at one time we had feelings for each other? Things may be changing but I'm still going to be me and there's nothing that I wouldn't do to try to keep some sense of normalcy between us. You're too important to me, Ginny, I don't want you to feel like you have to keep anything from me, ever."

"Regardless of what happens, you will always have your family here," she whispered. "I will always be here for you and I don't want you to have any doubts about that. It's just that I've pretty much set myself apart from the rest of my family when it comes to the kind that I have with you."

Harry was becoming increasingly frustrated by her vague words and wanted her to just tell him what was going on inside of her instead of him having to fit the puzzle pieces she was giving him. "Gin, I don't know what it is that you're keeping from me but whatever it is, just tell me instead of giving me these ambiguous lines. Why did you even bring the subject up if you didn't want to talk about it?"

Ginny slightly recoiled at his tone, "You're the one that brought up the past when you started talking about regrets and telling me that you felt more for me than just friendship back in school. How am I supposed to react to that, by just ignoring it? I can't do that, Harry, and it's hard enough as it is to mentally accept that after all of these years of one-sided..." she gestured the air with her hand, "infatuation!" Even though she had the feeling back in school that he returned her sentiments, she still found herself dumbfounded when he more or less said the words himself.

"Again, why is it such a big deal to you that I told you that, you just said that what you felt was infatuation...it shouldn't be this hard for you to talk about it."

Ginny turned her head when she felt a tear prickle at the corner of her eye. Harry's words were hurting her and she knew that he didn't even realize it – she believed that he still had the notion that what she had felt was just a crush. "It _is_ a big deal to _me_." Ginny couldn't sit still any longer and so she sat up and got up from the bed. "Do you really believe that what I felt for you was that insignificant? You want to know what my dream life was when I was young? Fine, I'll tell you," she said bitterly. "I wanted you."

Harry waited for her to finish the sentence but frowned when nothing followed those words. "You wanted me to what?"

"I wanted you, period."

Silence fell on the room like a suffocating blanket to Ginny and she went to the window and opened it to breathe in the chilly night air. _Just breathe, stay calm, maybe we'll both wake up tomorrow and have forgotten it all. And I'm the Minister of Magic. _She felt slightly better at her ability to invoke humor out of it all and turned back to Harry, who had sat up and was looking at her.

"What do you mean by all of these years?" Harry asked.

"All of these years, what?" said Ginny, perplexed.

"All of these years of infatuation...don't you mean all of those years?"

Realization struck Ginny at how she had worded herself and she opened her mouth to reply but remained silent. She began to fidget with the hem of her shirt and looked at the door beyond Harry's shoulder, feeling the urge to run. She didn't want to answer that question in fear of opening the wound further and she cursed herself for having invited Harry into her room.

"Ginny? Please answer me, you meant all of those years, right?" Harry studied Ginny and noticed that as the minutes passed she became progressively agitated, and was utterly confounded by it. _She had to have stopped fancying me before now, this has to be a mistake...she couldn't possibly have kept her hopes alive over me. Get over yourself, Potter, you're not worth any of that, of course she has moved on! _

"No, you git, I didn't mean all of those years! It's _always_ been you and I can't stand it because I've tried...oh, believe me, I've TRIED to get over you and you know what happens? When you come back to visit, I feel this big surge of pure happiness and adrenaline because I know that I'll see you again, it doesn't matter if you've been gone for five days or five months! And then when you leave, there's this emptiness inside of me and I know it so well because it's been there since the first time I saw you. When we kissed, I can't describe to you how much I wanted that to happen, how many _years_ I've dreamed about doing that with you, but it was nothing compared to the real thing...not even _close_."

Harry sat in a state of shock as she let loose all of the thoughts and emotions that had been plaguing her, his ears heard the words but his brain seemed to freeze from the onslaught. He opened his mouth to say something...anything...but Ginny interrupted him.

"No, don't say anything, I don't want to hear it. Is this what you wanted, Harry? I'm confessing myself to you and it's killing me!"

"Wait, I didn't expect you to-"

"You're leaving tomorrow, probably for good, and what am I supposed to do now? I'm going to continue living my life as a bookstore owner and you're going to continue holding my heart in your hands, that's the way it's always been."

"Why are you doing this, Ginny, I'm not worth it." He felt angry toward her for having wasted her time on him, but at the same time he wanted to grab her and hold on tightly. He had gotten up from the bed a minute before and had his arms folded while he listened to her.

Ginny didn't think her heart could take much more of this and so she crossed over to the door and went into the living room. "I can't believe you even said that," she said loud enough so Harry could hear her. "What do you mean why am I doing this, do you think I _like_ doing this to myself? I hate to break it to you, Harry, but my world doesn't revolve around you, I _can_ live without you, I wouldn't be standing here if I couldn't."

"I didn't think it did but why did you wait until now to tell me how you felt?"

"Since you seem to want to drag everything out into the open today, that's the big secret that's been festering inside of me. Oddly enough, I don't feel any better."

"Why are you making it like it's my fault, I haven't pressured you into saying or doing anything you didn't want to do. This is crazy behavior, why can't we talk about this rationally?"

"If you want to talk rationally, then tell me with one hundred percent certainty that you aren't the father to a baby that's going to be born all the way in the United States, then Obliviate my memory with everything that has happened since dinner. Unless you can do that, then being calm about this is out of the question."

"You know I can't do that and why haven't you asked me how I feel about all of this, does it not matter? I can't believe this," he said exasperatedly, feeling the need to start pacing again.

"I think you should just leave," she said quietly.

"Huh? No, I'm not leaving you like this, not with _this_ hanging in the air between us."

"You can't think about me right now. I'm sorry that I even said anything."

"No...you're not sorry, I know when you're lying. I...I wish I could tell you what you want to hear." The sadness in Ginny's eyes practically tore him apart and he wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how. Ginny's confession created even more of a tornado inside of him and he didn't want to say anything before he sorted it all out.

A tear escaped and slid down her cheek and she wiped it away and sniffed before shaking her head. "Please, Harry...please go, I can't do this anymore. I've probably just ruined anything that was _normal_ between us and I don't think I can go back even if I tried. You have to get your life in order and I'm not going to be the one that stands in your way. I want nothing more for your life than for you to be happy, _promise_ me that you'll find it," she pleaded. "I never asked you to say anything to me and I don't want you to...you're right, I'm not sorry that I told you. I'm not thirteen years old anymore, I'm not confused and I'm determined to not have regrets if I can help it."

Ginny walked over to him and slid her arms around his waist tightly, resting her head against his shoulder. "I know that tonight has been one big mess, and it probably wasn't the best time for it to happen...it never really seems to be the right time with us," she said almost comically, although neither of them smiled. She looked up into his face and he stared back intently, but she never backed down. "Go, Potter, but promise me that you'll start to figure out what you want out of life, you owe it to yourself and no one else."

Harry lowered his head into her hair and took a deep breath before replying, "Yeah...I promise." He felt a tenderness and sorrow inside of him and he thought that this was not how he wanted this night to end with her. It was almost as if their story were coming to an end and it had no epilogue, and it made him encircle her in his arms and hesitate to leave. "Gin...are you sure you want me to go?" He felt her nod and it did nothing to lessen the pain he was feeling.

"I think it would be better if you did, both of us have a lot of things to think about," she muffled against his chest. She slowly pulled back and smiled sadly up into his face, "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Harry nodded dismally and leaned over to grab his pile of clothes, then gave her a last lingering look before disappearing before her eyes with a small crack.

Ginny stood frozen to the spot with her hands folded in front of her, waiting for Harry's essence to fade in the aftermath of his Disapparation. "Bye, Harry." She numbly walked over to the couch and plopped down on top of the pillow and blanket that Harry was supposed to have used. She sniffed and unknowingly dropped from the couch to the floor where she sat staring at her hands. Harry was gone...probably gone forever. "Those damn papers..." she whispered. "It will never be the right time." One tear, then two escaped and fell down her cheek and she sniffed again, physically willing herself not to break down.

"Ginny, are you okay? What's the matter?"

She heard Megan's soft voice but she didn't look up, nor did she feel it when she came to sit down next to her.

"Oh, sweetie..." Megan reached up a hand and wiped her tears away, which only seemed to produce more.

"I j...just can't...do this anymore." Ginny felt the dam break and she leaned forward and rested her head on Megan's shoulder, letting out the whirlwind of emotions that had built up inside of her for ten years.

* * *

Harry reappeared outside of a comfortable ranch style home with blue shutters feeling rather empty. A crease showed above his nose that usually had no business being there and he wondered how he was supposed keep his promise to Ginny when he felt like he'd never be happy again.

As he stood there, he didn't feel the drops of rain that began to fall from the dark night sky. A sound of distant thunder fell on his ears but he didn't hear it, he merely turned his head up to the sky and took a deep breath of the air that held a hint of the impending storm. "You really pulled one on me this time," he said, not knowing who was listening. "Sirius, mum, dad...if you're hearing me, I'm about as lost as a person can be and I..." another rumble of thunder sounded, followed by a quick flash of lightning that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Need help."

He straightened his head and his eyes fell on the doorknob, contemplating whether or not he should even be here. Thinking back on his life with Ron and Hermione, they had always been the one constant support system that he had needed, even when he had been a git and stubbornly refused any kind of help. He now knew that had they not stuck by him through the years, he would either be dead or insane at St. Mungo's. Where he stood now was in front of their house and he felt a sliver better just standing there in their front yard. His hand of its own accord reached out and grasped the knocker, giving it three swift strikes before lowering it back down to its resting spot. He still held his pile of clothing and he then realized that he wasn't wearing any shoes. Looking down, he saw that he was in Ginny's pajamas and he blinked, realizing that he didn't care.

He heard a shuffle of feet on the other side of the door and he waited as one of them physically unlocked it, then he was certain that he heard Ron's voice mutter an incantation to magically unlock it before cracking the door open. He met Ron's eyes and tried to muster up a smile but failed, keeping silent since he wasn't sure what to say.

The moment Ron saw the look on Harry's face he became alarmed, as it was one he had seen many times in the past. "Harry..." the rest of what he wanted to say choked in his throat as his eyes roamed over the apparel he was wearing. "What's going on?"

At that moment, the sky opened up and the rain came down in torrents, instantly making Harry's hair mat to his head and his clothes cling to him. "I need help."

Ron was nearly blown backwards at Harry's plea, but only showed his surprise with a slight raise of his brow. _Harry's never asked for help a day in his life... _"Come in, mate, I'll get Hermione," he said automatically. He opened the door wider to let Harry pass and then closed and relocked the door before following him down the hallway into the kitchen area. While Harry took a seat at the table after dropping his stuff on the counter, Ron went to the bedroom where Hermione was lying in bed reading.

"Harry's here," he said quietly. "He...he asked for help."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock and the book she was reading fell from her hands unnoticed. "Help?"

"Yeah, can you believe it? Something must be really wrong for him to be here this late _asking_ us for help."

Hermione jumped out of bed and practically ran out of the room and to the kitchen where Harry sat staring despondently at the rain smattering across the window. "Harry, what's wrong? You're sopping wet!" she said frantically.

"Isn't this amazing? Not a half hour ago, I could see the moon perfectly," Harry said quietly. He turned back to his two friends and sighed, "I don't know what to do, anymore. That's the plain and simple truth of it and yet, it's worse than facing Voldemort...go figure."

"I'll make some tea-"

"No, no tea...please." Harry's insides tightened painfully and images of Ginny's stricken face when she made him tea earlier floated through his mind. _Oh, Ginny, I'm so sorry about everything. _

Hermione took her wand out and performed a drying spell on Harry's clothes before scooting closer and taking hold of his hand. "Tell us what's wrong, we'll get through this."

"Are you sure because right now, I'm not sure about anything anymore. Um...have either of you read anything tonight or heard anything on the wireless?"

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other wearily, knowing what kind of vicious rumors could be spread about Harry, having read a number of ridiculous ones themselves. "No, what sort of rubbish have they said about you now, you cheating at Quidditch?" said Ron, taking the vacant seat across from Harry.

"No..."

At the hesitancy in his voice, Hermione's worry increased ten-fold and she reached up to brush Harry's hair away from his face. "Harry, you can tell us anything, you know that?"

Harry merely nodded and released Hermione's hand before leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Listen, I...I need to go to New York tomorrow, I don't know if I'll be back in time for the game."

Ron's mouth hung open in surprise, "What are you going there for, the game is in two days! You can't miss the game, it's the Quid-"

"Shush, Ron! Obviously, Harry isn't going for a holiday, there's a reason he's going." Hermione sent Ron a glowering look before turning back to Harry in concern. "Does it have something to do with Anna, is she okay?"

"Er...she's ah...pregnant." Silence followed his statement and glanced back and forth between them, seeing identical looks of confusion. "About six months pregnant."

"Oh...oohhh..." Hermione covered her mouth with a hand and sat back in her chair, regarding Harry with disbelief.

"Pregnant," said Ron slowly, not sure what to make of Harry's confession.

Any peace that Harry had found earlier with Ginny dissipated and he ran his hands through his hair before holding the back of his head. "I just found out tonight when Ginny and I were on our way back from dinner. It's all over the papers, they think that I'm...that..."

"The father?" Hermione whispered behind her hand.

"Yeah..."

"Bloody hell!" Ron got up from his chair so violently, it teetered on its hind legs before righting itself again. "Harry, what reason do they have to keep writing this rubbish when they KNOW it's not even true! YOU the father of HER baby..." his gaze jumped furtively about the room and he contemplated getting his wand and cursing every last one of those... "Ruddy excuses for human beings, don't know their arses from a hole in the ground! Don't they even _care_ that there're living, breathing people with _feelings_ behind those pointless drabbles?!"

"Ron, if I was one hundred percent certain that it wasn't true, I wouldn't be sitting here telling you I'm leaving tomorrow," said Harry before he had to hear any more of Ron's outburst.

"Are you saying that there's a possibility that you _are_?" Ron's face went pale and he sat heavily on the chair he had just left. "This...isn't...no, you can't be."

"Don't tell me that, I think I've had enough denial tonight for the three of us put together. I have to face reality and it is what it is, I can't change it. If I am, I can't stay here, I'm not going to leave Anna alone to do it by herself. Hell, I don't think I can do that regardless. I don't think I've ever experienced the most wonderful and dreadful of moods in one day...it's like when I start to think that my life is normal for once, something...something happens and I get put back in my place."

"Tell us what happened tonight, don't leave anything out," Hermione said, having regained a semblance of control.

Harry proceeded to tell them everything from his run-in with Ginny that morning to having dinner with her at Neville's restaurant, then told them what happened at the Leaky Cauldron with some pauses in between. He then told them of going back to Ginny's place but didn't think he could confide in them over what happened later on.

"You're leaving something out," Hermione said at once.

Instead of arguing with her, he chose to remain silent and looked down at his fingers making shapes on the table. This development with Ginny was too new and he needed time to sort through it before he even began to explain what just happened.

"Harry, we can't help you unless we know what's going on. From what we know, you're going to New York tomorrow and I think that is a wise thing to do. Do you not know what to do because of what could happen there?" Hermione reached over and laid a hand on his arm, "Just remember that we're here for you, no matter what."

He looked up and saw the compassion in her eyes, then at Ron, who held an expressionless gaze, although Harry guessed that he was attempting to let the new information sink in. He swallowed before saying, "I know. You're right, that wasn't everything. I, uh..." What was he going to tell them about Ginny? He didn't even know what he felt for her, but he was certain that it wasn't platonic. He turned to Ron, "Ron...I have non-platonic feelings for Ginny." A small sigh escaped after he said those words, feeling rather nervous over how Ron would react.

Hermione gasped and the only sign Ron gave that he had heard him was a twitch of the jaw. "Are you sure?" whispered Hermione.

Harry stared at her in disbelief, silently asking her if she was serious with that question.

"I'm sorry, this is just so...unexpected."

"Ron," Harry turned to look at him, feeling increasingly worried at Ron's lack of animation. "Before you lose it or act on whatever you're thinking, please just listen to me. There's a lot of history between her and I, we became very close in school. Toward the end of our sixth year, I started to...have feelings for her." A faint blush rose into his cheeks as he rehashed his old feelings and memories to his best friends. "Truthfully, I was scared by them because I had never felt like that for _anyone_ and I didn't know how to handle it.

"We were comfortable being friends but I knew that something was happening and, even though she had stopped showing any interest in me, I had a gut feeling that she still felt the same. When seventh year came around, I was ready to explore it further but then Voldemort attacked," he said with bitterness. "I can't help but still feel angry over what could have been...we would have been good together, you know?" He shrugged and shifted his position in the chair, glancing occasionally at the storm going on outside.

"I didn't have a lot of time for anything that year that didn't involve Voldemort, including you two and Ginny. I probably wouldn't have seen any of you if you hadn't been there helping me...this was my main source of fuel to keep going, otherwise I don't think I would've made it." He gave a little smile at Hermione, who had been staring at him intently since the moment he began talking.

"We were still friends but somehow we just never got back to the place we were before. I still miss it to this day, it was real unfair to the both of us...Voldemort just felt like he needed to wake me up to the fact that I wasn't _allowed_ to like someone and be _happy. _After he was gone, I definitely wasn't mentally capable enough to have someone in my life like that and by the time I was, we had already made our separate lives.

"Tonight, I think we finally got a of couple things out in the open regarding how we felt about each other...er...she...she still feels the same way about me." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione nod slightly. "Wh...you _knew_ about this and never told me?"

"Harry, this is a story that can be saved for another day, but yes I _knew_ and no, she didn't tell me. You know me well enough to know that I pay attention to things around me, particularly my friends and family. You weren't Ginny's only friend back in school, she confided in me quite a bit because I'm a girl and females tend to relate to each other on a more personal level. I know how she used to feel about you, it wasn't hard to miss...first loves are hard to let go and Ginny tried with all that she had to let you go. I think for a while it worked, but when you began to really get to know each other, she knew that it never really went away. She didn't have to tell me, I saw it."

Harry stared hard into the eyes of the woman sitting in front of him and knew that what she said was the truth. He groaned out loud and laid his head on the table, then gave himself a good jolt by hitting his forehead hard against the wooden tabletop. "Ron...Hermione...this is why I need help. I...I don't think I want to let her go, either, but what am I supposed to do if I can't stay here? Ron, say something..._anything_, please. I don't want to hurt Ginny, I want nothing more in the world than for her to be happy."

Ron's expression hadn't changed much while Harry talked but what was going on inside of him certainly had. He may not be the most observant person in the world, but he knew when his best friend was miserable. He was in love..._yes, in love_...with his little sister, but he didn't feel like he wanted to pound him into the ground or start plotting with his brothers. It only confirmed for him how perfect Harry was for her. He cleared his throat and it made the other two occupants of the kitchen jump in their chairs.

"Worst case scenario, you go to New York tomorrow and find out that you are the father, am I right?" Harry gazed at him and hesitantly nodded in affirmation. "You and Anna have no chance of...rekindling things, am I right?" Another moment's hesitation before he received another nod. "With that out of the way, the only factor in this situation is the child...tell me, do you have any idea why she would keep something this important from you?"

"Well, I...I don't know..." he racked his brain to try to come up with a reason that sounded halfway legitimate. "I guess because she didn't want to bother me with the responsibility." He now felt guilty for thinking that Anna could be the one that leaked this out to the press, they held much respect for each other and Harry knew that she would never have done something like that.

Ron nodded and crossed his arms over his chest and thought about that answer. "Let me ask you a question and really think about it before you reply. Does Anna have any reason to ever keep anything from you? Let me rephrase that since you haven't seen her or talked in six months. Do you have _any_ reason to believe that Anna wouldn't tell you simply because she didn't want to bother you? I don't know her well, but you always told us about her and I gathered from it that you two remained open and honest with each other."

Harry looked at him perplexedly and his mind began to work furiously at what Ron was attempting to communicate to him. "Well..." he was right, they had maintained an open relationship and never kept anything from each other than her profession and certain events of his past that he didn't wish to dredge up. "No, not really."

"She could be keeping it a secret for her own reasons and not because you're the father. I know what you were thinking just then, so tell me why she would take the risk of letting something like this happen rather than tell you straight out. Perhaps she never thought that the press would take a piece of information that they don't know anything about and spin it into a fabricated tale with you in it because maybe you _aren't_ the father."

Hermione gazed at Ron with admiration and leaned over to grasp his hand under the table. "Harry...Ron's right. I know that a lot has happened tonight, and you can't let your emotional vulnerability get the best of you. Finding out something like this would be a blow to a lot of people, especially you, but don't go off the deep end when you don't know for sure. My gut feeling says that Anna simply had no idea that this would happen because she knew that you weren't the father of her baby. I think it's a good thing that you're going back to New York, you need to figure things out for yourself."

Harry narrowed his eyes at Hermione and wondered if she and Ginny had somehow talked before he came over, as they had both pretty much given him the same advice. While he was listening to Ron, he was sent into a whole new frame of mind and a whole new outlook on the situation that didn't include him living in the United States. _Maybe...just maybe... _"Thanks, guys," he said with a genuine smile.

"Harry," said Ron. "I have one thing to say about you and Ginny and then I will stay out of it, because I know that you two have to work things out on your own. There's a reason that my brothers and I have spent many years terrorizing the poor boys and men that have been interested in her. It's because not one of them has ever been good enough for her, even if she didn't realize it at the time. I can't believe I'm saying this but there is one thing that Divination taught me."

Harry gawked at Ron for even mentioning that class after having to deal with Trelawney and her constantly stuffy classroom for five years. "You actually _learned_ something?"

"I listened every once in awhile, but that's not the point...there are things that are destined to happen in life and one of them is love." He looked at Hermione and saw her smiling at him and mouth 'I love you'. He smiled and it encouraged him to continue on with his less than masculine monologue. "I'm not saying that you and her were destined for each other, but don't ignore the possibility, okay? Both of you deserve to be happy."

Harry nodded slowly and stored Ron's words away to think about later. He wasn't sure why Ron would even say something with Divination and love in the same subject, but didn't think about it as he let out a long sigh that he had been holding in. He reached his hand out and Ron took it immediately, "Thanks, mate...I mean it."

Hermione quietly sniffled and wiped the corner of her eye as she observed the mutual respect and friendship that passed between them.

Ron rolled his eyes, "'Mione, there's no need to cry..."

"I'm not crying," she said, although her nasally voice gave her away. "Oh sod off, Ron, I'm just a little emotional right now, deal with it." She got up from the table and went behind Harry to lean down and wrap an arm loosely around his neck in a hug. "I hate to admit it but Ron's right _again_. Whatever happens tomorrow, just keep that in mind, okay?"

Harry would have nodded if he could have moved his head, instead he reached up to gently pat her arm. "I will...I promise." This time when he said it, it came out easier and he felt glad that he had come to see them. "I love you, too."

Ron got up from the table, blatantly uncomfortable with the whole situation, and went to the fridge. "Want a butterbeer?"

"Yeah, but give me back my Invisibility Cloak first, you wouldn't believe what i've dealt with today."

* * *


End file.
